Return to Hoenn
by Airenee
Summary: Ruby still pretends he doesn't remember the Mirage Island Event. Their relationship is still the same. No progress at all. Then Ruby goes to Sinnoh and returns to Hoenn after a year. Sapphire welcomes him but who is this new friend Ruby made? My 1st Fanfic. substories Norman & Ruby. SEQUEL is On-going! If you like this story, Read Return to you!
1. Unexpected Visitor

**Return to Hoenn  
**

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**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon. They belong to their respective owners. And I highly respect them for their work!**

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**Chapter 1: Unexpected Visitor**

The time is set a year after platinum arc. During that time, Ruby went to Sinnoh to compete in the Pokemon Super Contests. Though Sapphire was against it, she didn't want to hinder Ruby's dreams. The red-eyed, fashion-obsessed boy wanted to challenge himself. The contests in Sinnoh were a whole different league with competitions not only for visual but also dancing and acting. It was a brand new adventure and Ruby was eager to see it unfold. They parted ways with heavy hearts but Ruby promised to return after a year. Sapphire hoped and waited for that certain day.

And that day came.

The ship from Sinnoh wasn't going to arrive till 8:00am but Sapphire was already up at 5:00am. She stuffed her bag and secured her pokeballs on her belt. Then she bounded down the stairs and almost collided with Prof. Birch, if not for her quick reflexes.

"Hey now, where are you going in such a hurry?" asked the girl's father who was still recovering from the shock. He was used to seeing his daughter get up early but her heightened energy was rare. Taking a deep breath, Birch glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "...And this early?"

"Ruby's comin' back!" Sapphire shouted with absolute joy and thrill. "I wanna be the first to greet him when he does."

"But the ferry's not gonna arrive til-" Prof. Birch was cut off when the front door slammed loudly. He scratched his head and sighed. "… young love"

Sapphire called for Pilo, her Tropius. The trees in the forest rustled. A green dinosaur with leafy wings and yellow berries growing out of the sides of it head flew out from the thick vegetation and landed beside the blue-eyed girl. Sapphire greeted it and hopped on its back.

"Onward to Slateport, Pilo!" She stretched out her hand and pointed to the direction of the city where the ferry will arrive. The pokemon let out an agreeing sound and flew towards the direction the girl gestured to.

The skies were still covered in a deep blue hue. The sun hasn't risen out of the mountains but the rays slightly seeped out giving the surroundings some light. The fresh forest air was invigorating and smelled of morning dew.

Sapphire's thoughts wandered. _How's he doing? Did he miss me? Did he win all his contests? Did he ever think about me? _The sudden realization of her thoughts made her blush bright pink.

_No, No! That prissy would have been too preoccupied with his contests. Plus he still acts like he doesn't remember anything from that time we left Mirage Island. _She was saddened by that. She bit her lip and lowered her head like she was about to cry.

But then she let out a loud outburst "Then I'll MAKE him remember, once in for all!"

Fires of determination burned in her eyes and her fists clutched tightly as if they would strangle someone at any moment. That someone could be Ruby. By the time they arrived at Slateport, the sun finally came out and signaled that it was going to be a beautiful sunny day. Sapphire got off Pilo and returned him to his pokeball. She gazed at him with gratitude and tucked the ball onto her belt. Then she faced the vast ocean of water with absolutely no sign of incoming ships.

Her flames of determination remained unwavering even in the middle of a quiet port. There were just some sailors preparing the docking bay and a few of them were lazing about. Pelippers and Wingulls hovered about in search of food and places to roost. The smell of the salty ocean breeze made the atmosphere cold.

30 minutes passed. Sapphire double checked her outfit so Ruby wouldn't make fun of her. They were the same clothes he first made for her. Except maybe a few adjustments due to her growing age. Her blue bandana was neatly tied, and her shoes and outfit were clean. Everything was in place. Then it hit her. The_ heck I'm fussin' about? I'm startin' ta act like Ruby. _

Sapphire shook her head, trying to erase the event that just occurred. She bared her fangs and gave a low growl. Her burning aura ignited into bigger flames which could almost be felt by the sailors. They felt sorry for the person that the scary girl was waiting for.

Another 30 minutes passed. It was 7:30am. The girl stood her ground with her legs a little apart and arms crossed. Her gaze not moving from the blue horizon. A still silence. Then finally a white spot appeared in the distance. The sailors announced the ship from Sinnoh was coming in.

The wild girl's anger suddenly died down and replaced with happiness to be able to see Ruby again. More and more people started arriving at the port to greet their loved ones and expected guests. A familiar voice in the crowd alerted Sapphire's keen ears. It was Ruby's mom. She smiled sweetly at the young brunette. "Hey Sapphire, are you here to welcome Ruby too?"

"Yeah! It's been a year since we last saw each other." She grinned back with a fang peeking out from the side of her mouth.

The young teen scanned the area, bobbing her head around the growing crowd. "Is Mr. Norman here too?"

"No, he isn't. As much as he wanted to see Ruby again, he has responsibilities as a Gym Leader." She sighed in disappointment but then returned to her sweet and gentle face.

"Why not go ahead me and welcome him. I'll wait here" She gestured at the ship slowly docking at the pier.

"OK. Then see ya later ma'am!" Sapphire waved as she disappeared into the crowd.

She positioned herself at the front of the crowd patiently awaiting her prey err—friend. People started descending from the ship. Sapphire's eyes quickly caught a glimpse of a white hat with a green headband. Her heart almost leaped out in excitement.

"Ruby! RUBY! OVER HERE!" She shouted as she waved frantically to catch Ruby's attention.

Just then a pair of red eyes met her gaze. Ruby was wearing a black long-sleeved jacket with orange patterns and jet-black pants. He smiled and waved casually as he approached her, dragging his bag behind him. He was pulling a black stroller bag with a red outline of a pokeball on it.

_Hmm…? I'm sure Ruby had more luggage with him._ Sapphire thought.

"I'm back. Long time no see, Sapph." The red-eyed boy stood, calm and composed as if the journey in Sinnoh made him more mature.

He was just a few feet away from her. A velvet rope was between them designed to keep the crowd at that side. Sapphire was no longer able to contain herself. She spread her arms to hug him "Ruby I—"

Before she could say anything another voice called out to Ruby –-an unfamiliar female voice.

"Over her Lady Platina." He turned and gestured a young girl around their age wearing a white hat with a pink pokeball outline on top of her silky dark hair. She had very delicate features like a princess even the people around awed at her lady-like presence.

She looked really girly with a pink skirt, a black top, a red scarf and white boots to match her white hat. She came closer. A sailor followed behind her pushing a cart full of baggage. Sapphire recognized Ruby's and probably guessed the rest belonged to the girl Ruby referred to as Platina.

"Ruby, I said to just call me Platina, didn't I?" Platina glanced at his face as she stood beside him with a little less distance compared to the distance between Sapphire and Ruby.

Sapphire was at a loss for words. _Who is this girl? Why did Ruby call her Lady? Why do they know each other? How come Ruby is so close to her? How come she is so close to him!? Calling him Ruby and all.. _The friendliness between them made her extremely uneasy.

"I'm sorry. I was used to it." He smiled at her with that warm sweet smile Sapphire missed and longed to see for a long time—for a whole year.

The girl turned her gaze towards Sapphire. She bobbed her head slightly to the side and smiled calmly.

"You must be Sapphire. Ruby has told me so much about you." She held out her hand to shake hers. "I'm Platina Berlitz. It's so nice to finally meet you." Her whole being gave out a regal aura filled with innocence.

Sapphire snapped out of her daze and clasped her hand "Yeah… same here." Her voice trembled but it was left unnoticed by the two.

The wild girl's boundless energy from the early morning disappeared because of this.. Unexpected Visitor.

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**End of Chapter 1.**

**How am I doing so far?**

**Ruby's usual personality is not shown much since he only said a few lines.**

**Pls. Rate and comment!  
**

**This is my very 1st FanFic...**


	2. Mutual

**Return to Hoenn  
**

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**DISCLAIMER: I repeat I do not own pokemon!**

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**Chapter 2: Mutual**

Ruby and Platina met up again with Sapphire at the other side of the velvet rope after they secured the rest of their belongings. The azure-eyed girl watched them smiling and walking side by side. It was painful.

"Sapphire? I'm back now. Why do you look so down?" Ruby asked as he leaned closer to her. Seeing his best friend whom he knew to be hyper and energetic just stood there dazed was quite unusual.

Sapphire looked up and jolted at the sudden realization of his closeness.

The crimson-eyed boy smirked, "Did you feel lonely while I was away? You really miss me lot, don't you?" He tried to tease her back into her enrage self to lift her spirit.

It worked.

"Miss ya?! In yer dreams, Prissy Boy! I got lot of training done without ya making fun of me and my cave girl ways!" she fumed with fangs showing. Ruby was glad she hasn't changed one bit except for her neat appearance. He guessed it was for him. There wasn't a spec of mud or twigs on her. It was a nice gesture. He hid a smile at the thoughtfulness.

Platina merely giggled.

"Are my parents here?" Ruby turned his attention to the people around them.

"Yer mum's waitin' for ya over there." Sapphire replied as she pointed to the far back of the port.

"…and dad?" he gave a tone that he already expected him not to be there.

"He had Gym Leader responsibilities ta attend to."

There was a brief silence that dampened the mood. Even Platina who knew little felt there was something about Ruby's relationship with his father. She decided to lighten up the mood. "Ruby bought a lot of souvenirs and he also acquired some new pokemon" Platina pointed out. "Not to mention a whole lot of contest ribbons."

This perked Sapphire's interest. "…New pokemon?"

Ruby pulled out two pokeballs. One with a modest Finneon Ruby called Nene and the other a brave natured Gallade named Zaffiro.

Sapphire noticed the name was different from the usual name pattern Ruby gives. It wasn't repetitive like Zuzu, Coco, Nana, Ruru, Popo, and Mimi.

She inspected the Gallade which Ruby handed to her. "Don't dirty him, okay?"

Sapphire knew he was gonna say that. She rolled her eyes._ I know, I know already... Ruby is such a nag._

She shrugged it off and stared at the pokemon that in turn stared back at her. The color was different. Instead the usual green hue, the Gallade was a cool shade of blue and it had a pair vibrant orange eyes.

"Ruby's Gallade is a shiny pokemon," Platina explained as she read the perplexed look on Sapphire's face.

"…Shiny? Aren't all his pokemon shiny?" The confused brunette was thinking all of those times Ruby groomed his pokemon to be sparky clean.

Ruby chuckled. "That's not what she meant Saph."

"Shiny pokemon are those with rare colorations. They have a 1 out of 8192 chance to be born in any kind of pokemon species." Platina explained further. "Zaffiro, here, is a good example of one. Ruby evolved it from a Kirlia with a Dawn Stone."

"A Kirlia? Dontcha already have Ruru?"

Ruby took out and handed her another pokeball. Sapphire held it in her other hand and examined the contents. It was Ruru, she was no longer a Kirlia but a beautiful and elegant Gardevoir.

The two pokemon glanced at each other. Sapphire noticed the affinity between them. She placed the two balls together. Ruru and Zaffiro leaned closer gazing into each other's eyes as they touched the sides of the respective pokeballs. _At least they share mutual love._

Ruby took back his pokemon and wiped them before he strapped them back to his belt. This annoyed Sapphire and made her forgot to ask why he named him Zaffiro.

"Ruby dear!" a woman's voice echoed. Ruby turned and was immediately embraced by his mother.

"Mom, you're embarrassing me…" He tried to struggle free but failed miserably.

The two girls giggled away. The gloomy atmosphere earlier was completely forgotten.

"Oh Ruby, I just missed you so much," his mom made soft sobbing noises as she hugged her beloved son.

"Sapphire missed you so much too. She got up so early and everything" his mom added.

This made wild girl panic. "N-No, I didn't get up early for him! I always get up early." She didn't lie at the last part. She always got up early to hike mountains or explore forests.

Still, Ruby smirked, "So you _did_ miss me?" Finally breaking free from his mom's smothering hug.

The panic-stricken girl flushed, unable to say anything. Platina remained calm and admired the good relationship the two had. She was reminded of her two loyal companions—her best friends, Pearl and Dia-I mean Diamond.

The older woman noticed the other girl beside Sapphire and smiled. "Aren't you going to introduce me, Ruby?"

"If you didn't try to suffocate me, I would have." He retorted.

Platina didn't need Ruby to introduce her as she was perfectly capable of doing it herself.

"Good day to you, ma'am. My name is Platina Berlitz. I will be staying in Hoenn for the time being as I am helping my father and Prof. Rowan's pokemon research."

_Not only is she beautiful, she is also very knowledgeable. _Sapphire thought as she felt she was inferior compared to her._ But then again, I'm still tougher and no doubt I'm a better pokemon battler. _She tried to reassure herself, not wanting to lose to her.

"Is that so?" Ruby's mom examined her. She looked too frail to be around dangerous pokemon. But then she was proven wrong when she noticed 8 gym badges attached to her bag.

"You won all the gyms in Sinnoh?" a surprised tone in her voice.

Sapphire was more surprised. _Her?! Beat up gym leaders? It's either the gym leaders there are pretty weak or she's actually pretty strong. _She doubted it was the former. Gym leaders are no pushovers.

"She also won the 5 Battle Frontiers of Sinnoh." Ruby added.

Sapphire felt she was completely defeated. _Beauty, Brains and even Battle-wise. How can I compete against her now? ...And how does Ruby know so much about her? _It was vexing but she didn't dare show it in front of them— especially in front of Ruby.

"Well, that's enough of this chit-chat. I'm sure everyone's hungry so let's eat." Ruby's mom suggested.

Sapphire's stomach growled in agreement. Everyone turned to her. She felt her self-esteem hit rock bottom.

Ruby chuckled. "Let's hurry or my stomach will growl worse than hers." He grabbed her wrist and smiled.

_He really does care about me. _She felt her spirits lifted.

"Then again, nothing can be louder than that."

A vein popped into her head and she kicked him hard to the ground. "Let's leave him." She walked away without a second glance.

The two females followed behind, leaving Ruby sprawled on the floor.

After recovering from the pain, Ruby got up and realized all the baggage was still there. A whole pile of it. He felt a sweat drop before he took out Zuzu and Zaffiro to help him carry all of it. The females already ordered before Ruby arrived. They sat around a circular glass table with the two younger girls facing each other. Ruby sat across his mom. Zaffiro and Zuzu set the luggage down near them and Ruby returned them to their respective pokeballs after thanking them.

"If my pokemon develop weird muscles, I blame you." He glared at Sapphire.

She just laughed it off and continued drinking her berry shake.

It was relatively peaceful meal. No further arguments between Ruby and Sapphire.

As her drink was almost finished Sapphire began to think about Platina and how much was she better in many aspects. How she was the better choice for Ruby. The self-pity continued. Platina and ruby were like two peas in a pod. Both had white hats, a fashion-sense, intelligence…. a mutual affinity towards each other… _Ruby and I are complete opposites. What do we have that's…. mutual?_

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**End of Chapter 2**

**I already have the ideas in my head.**

**Thanks to: ame for giving my 1st ever review! XD (It made me really happy)**

**I'll write again whenever I can touch the computer.**

**I wish for everyone's support and some more reviews to help.**

**I hope I'm doing this right. I'll also upload a sketch if I find the time to draw one 1st.**


	3. What Now?

**Return to Hoenn  
**

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**DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT Own POKEMON.**

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**Chapter 3: What Now!?**

After breakfast, Ruby's mom offered to let Platina stay at their house as well as take their luggage to Littleroot by car so Ruby and Sapphire could tour the Sinnoh visitor around Hoenn.

"My apologies ma'am, but I have already made arrangements at a hotel in Rustboro City. I would hate to impose. I sincerely thank you for the offer, though. " Platina said with utmost courtesy and respect.

"My, my…. You don't need to be so formal and it wouldn't be imposing. Hotels are really expensive and my son rarely has guests over other than Sapphire." The woman blushed at the refined manner the young girl displayed.

"Mom, it's okay. Plus she doesn't have problems with money. The Berlitz family is one the richest and not to mention one of the most powerful families in Sinnoh." Ruby explained without batting an eye as if he was already used to being close to such a famous person.

Both Sapphire and Ruby's mom were caught off guard. Platina looked like a came from a prestigious family but they didn't expect it to be that prestigious.

_Oh, great another thing to add to my list of how more superior she is to me._ How Sapphire wished to be more like her. To be more like….. like someone perfect for Ruby.

They loaded the car with Ruby's luggage other than his pokemon and usual backpack. Platina's bags were picked up by someone from the hotel. She only took her pokemon and other necessities.

They bid the older woman goodbye before Sapphire took out Pilo and mounted on his back. "We will get around faster if we fly."

Platina took a moment to admire the flying green dino. "You have such a fine specimen of a Tropius, Sapphire."

"Gee, thanks." Sapphire scratched the back of her head, feeling embarrassed by the compliment. "He belongs to my dad-"

She turned and saw Ruby assisting Platina to get Pilo's back. He was acting all gentleman-like. It made Sapphire jealous to see the boy she loved.. –liked treat another girl in a sweet and special manner.

She shrugged off the pain in her chest and put on a tough front. "Alright! Everybody hold on tight." On cue Pilo took to the skies.

Ruby took out the pokenav and began searching for a potential destination. Platina leaned closer to examine the map of Hoenn displayed on the screen. Sapphire continued to act as if she wasn't affected by their friendliness with each other but in fact it affected her more than she expected.

"How about we head over to Sootopolis first?" Ruby suggested. "It's been a long time since I've seen Master, and I think Platina would like to see the place where the Legendary Battle of Groudon and Kyogre took place."

"That sounds splendid." Platina perked up with fascination and excitement.

"Sootopolis it is then…." Sapphire steered her trusty pokemon towards Sootopolis. She didn't dare look back Ruby and his new …friend.

"Oh yeah before I forget." Ruby pulled something out of his bag and draped something over Sapphire's shoulders which made her jolt in surprise.

She instinctively grabbed the mystery item and found out it was a scarf. It was a in a beautiful shade of dark blue which went well with her sky blue outfit. At the end of it, she noticed her name embroidered in silver thread. It was definitely Ruby's handiwork. She recognized it from countless clothes the crimson-eyed boy made for his pokemon.

"You like it? I thought you'd get cold riding on Pilo or exploring some dark wet place." He smiled at her.

Sapphire couldn't express her feelings. She loved it. She used to hate Ruby making her clothes because they were really girly dresses with frills, ribbons and everything. This time, she wouldn't give it up for anything.

"I knew it would look good on you," he added. Those words brought back memories of the time he first made her clothes and before they dove down to the deep to confront Maxie and Archie.

"Th-thank… you.." She murmured. "…I—" she was cut off yet again.

"There's a town over there" Platina gestured to a place floating in the middle of the ocean.

Ruby turned his attention back at Platina who has never seen a town quite like it.

"That's Pacifidlog. It is a small town built on wooden rafts and logs that float on top of a Corsola colony." Ruby explained. It was incredibly fascinating for the wealthy heiress. Sapphire was left hanging. She wanted to remove the scarf and shove it in Ruby's face but she couldn't. She secured it around her neck. The warmth was all she had as she felt Ruby was slowly slipping from her life.

There was a rustle on Ruby's belt. Ruby glanced at his pokeballs. Ruru, his Gardevoir looked sad and gestured Sapphire. Being a pokemon that could sense feelings and emotions of people and pokemon, Ruby took it as a sign of some sort. Ruby looked at Sapphire and noticed she was still quiet and behaved for some reason.

_It's been like this since she first met Platina. Could it be she's uneasy with other girls? She is a lot different from a usual girl. She's hot-tempered, hyper, outgoing, determined, energetic, adventurous, passionate about pokemon, sincere… a warm smile …a cute face. _He flushed bright red at the last few thoughts.

"Ruby, are you feeling alright? Are you coming down with something?" Platina examined him with her hand gently touching his forehead for a fever.

"N-No! I-I'm fine…" he quickly responded and backed away.

Sapphire looked back and noticed him blushing. Jealousy was slowing eating away inside her. She turned her gaze instead towards the city coming into view.

"There's Sootopolis!" The Sapphire exclaimed as she pointed towards the city. Her two companions immediately looked at her direction.

It was a breathtaking sight. It was a white-stoned mountain with a huge crater.

Pilo circled around a few times to give them a better view of the city. The architectural structures were unique. The deep-jade colored rooftops complimented the culture. The middle of the city was a Gym surrounded by a lake.

"Greetings everyone!" a familiar voice caught the Hoenn duo's attention. "What brings you all to our fine city on this _beautiful_ day?"

Ruby smiled excitedly and exclaimed."Master!"

A blue haired man riding a flying car, flew over to their side.

"Ah, Ruby. Welcome back to Hoenn. I predict the Pokemon Super Contests in Sinnoh were successful?"

"You bet, Master!" There was absolute pride resonating in Ruby's voice.

"I'm glad to hear that my precious student is doing so well." The blue-haired man noticed an unfamiliar girl beside Ruby. "And may I ask who this dainty little flower is?"

Platina also looked curiously at the person Ruby referred to as 'Master'.

"Oh, how rude of me. Platina, this is Wallace, my master. He taught me a lot about pokemon contests. He is also the Gym leader here in Sootopolis. Not to mention the Pokemon Champion of Hoenn." He gestured towards his master with respect and pride.

"It is such an honor to meet someone such as you Mr. Wallace." She bowed elegantly. "My name is Platina Berlitz. I am from Sinnoh and I came here to study the pokemon of Hoenn under Ruby and Sapphire's guidance."

Sapphire was surprised to be included in that.

"I see. It is so nice to meet a young lady such as yourself." Wallace moved nearer and bent down to kiss Platina's hand.

The Sinnoh visitor smiled at the gesture._ Ruby really admires this person. I can see why. He is also quite the gentleman._

"My Lady, please allow me the honor to give you a private tour of our wondrous city." Ruby's master offered her a ride on his flying car.

"Ruby and Sapphire could take this time to catch up. I know it's been some time since they really had a good conversation." He gave the two a suggestive grin which made the two blush slightly.

Platina giggled. "I most graciously accept your offer, kind sir." Wallace ushered her to side of the driver's seat. They waved goodbye and flew further into the city.

Ruby and Sapphire were left behind. There was an awkward silence between them. None of them knew what you say first or who should speak first. They didn't want to face each other either otherwise the other would notice the faint blush on their cheeks.

"I-uh….." they stammered simultaneously.

They flinched and then turned to opposite directions.

_Now what do I do? What do I say? Why did Master leave us alone like this? _Ruby thoughts were in frantic disarray.

_We're finally alone. What now?! Think Sapphire! Think! _There was something Sapphire was supposed to do but she couldn't place a finger on it.

They were about to open their mouths and say something but Pilo let out a tired cry. Their attention shifted to the dino who remain aloft.

"Sorry Pilo, Let's head for ground so you can rest and our other pokemon can stretch out of their pokeballs too." Sapphire rubbed the Tropius' long neck gently. "Pilo flew down and landed on the grassy clearing.

Ruby and Sapphire took out all their pokemon to have a break from their pokeballs.

"Try not to get dirty, alright guys?" the clean freak boy reminded his pokemon as they nodded in agreement.

Pilo took a nap near the shade of the nearby trees. Toro, a Blaziken stretch out and took a walk with the Castform, Popo, floating close by. Rono, an Aggron, and Dono, a Donphan, played around near the rocky walls of the city. Relo, Mimi, Zuzu and Nene jumped into the lake and swam around. (Relicanth, Milotic, Swampert and Finneon, respectively). Sapphire's Wailord, Walo, was somewhere swimming in the ocean outside the city because the Wild girl didn't like keeping the enormous pokemon inside a pokeball. Nana and Coco were back at his home when Ruby transferred them so he could bring Nene and Zaffiro. Ruru and Zaffiro, the two smitten Kirlia evolutions glanced at Ruby and Sapphire before they walked away to have some private time.

The two Hoenn trainers stood there not wanting to understand what that look those two pokemon made at them. The silence between them returned. They looked at each other.

_Now it's just me and her…_

_Now it's just me and him…_

_(Both) What now?!..._

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**End of Chapter 3**_  
_

**I've got another Reviewer! (^_^) Thanks so much!**

**I would have updated a lot sooner but their were consecutive blackouts.  
I also had to review a few typos.  
I worked on my cover instead. I only took a pic. I didn't scan and edited it. Rush.**

**I'm glad everyone is liking it so far! **

**Hoping for more reviews and possible suggestions. **

**Advance Thank you for reading!**


	4. Remember

**Return to Hoenn  
**

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**Chapter 4: Remember**

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_The sun was setting in the horizon. The sky was a mix of blue, red and pink. Silhouettes of birds flew across. The breeze was serene and calming. Two figures stood by the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean which was dyed in the reflection of the sky._

"_I'll do it. I won't run away from it anymore. I won't keep lying to her about it." The boy with crimson eyes declared as he stared to the far-off sky with visions of the girl who never left his mind._

"_I'm glad to hear that." A dark haired girl slowly walked up from behind him._

"_I owe you a lot, Lady Platina"_

"_It's alright, Ruby. I don't mind." Her voice was soft and gentle. "You can stop adding the Lady part, by the way….We are friends, are we not?" She gave him a reassuring smile._

_Ruby chuckled. "Of course." _

_His gaze kept looking upward towards the sky. "Somewhere across the sea, she must be watching the same sky" he thought. _"_Soon I'll be back in Hoenn." _

"_I will be coming with you to help Prof. Rowan's research….. As well as see to it that you fulfill your declaration." There was a small laugh at the last comment._

"_I look forward to it. I'll help you in any way I can….. Just like how you, Pearl and Diamond have helped me throughout my stay here in Sinnoh."_

_In the distance, two boys came into view, a hasty young blonde who was waving at them and another boy wearing a beret with some pastries in his hands _

"_It's about time we head back," Platina suggested. _

"_Yeah."_

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The silence was heavy but then Sapphire spoke and broke the tension. "So.. uhm… yer pretty close ta Platina, ain't ya?"

"Ah-uh.. yeah. W-we've been through a lot in Sinnoh… She was a big help." Ruby couldn't get what she meant when she asked that question.

"I s-see…" her voice started to tremble. She didn't want to know what kind of things they did together.

A soft breeze passed by. She started fidgeting the scarf around her neck as Ruby walked over to her.

"Saph, you've been acting weird since Platina came. What's wrong?" He leaned closer to examine her face.

The question made her flinch. "I-I… There's n-nothing's wrong…nothing." she refused to look at him directly. _It hurts…_

_C'mon Ruby, do something! Say something! Show some backbone for Arceus' sake! _A voice kept nagging at Ruby.

"Sapph..." he swallowed hard. She looked at him with those big eyes that were as deep as the ocean. _Just do it already! Say it! _He felt he was starting to sweat._ Eww! Sweat... Wait! This no time to be worrying about that!_

"Sapphire, I-I…" he scratched his head and turned away his gaze.

Sapphire's eyes widen as Ruby's cheeks began to turn pink.

_Here goes nothing! _He looked back and stared into her eyes. "Sapph-"

He was interrupted by a loud splash followed by a high-pitch cry.

The two trainers turned towards the commotion. Mimi surfaced. Her long pink hair-like fins were entangled in seaweed.

In a split second, Ruby put on his glasses and with a glint in his eye, he turned into his prissy, clean-freak, fashion-obsessed self. He hastily took out brushes, scissors and other equipment, and then rushed to Mimi's side. She lowered her head apologetically. Ruby stroked her as a sign of forgiveness and began to do his work.

He removed the seaweed with utmost care and dexterity and brushed Mimi back into perfection. "There you go my precious Mimi." Her fins and scales shimmered in the sunlight. The scarlet-eyed serpent nuzzled his cheek affectionately. Ruby grinned with pride before he snapped back into reality. _What the heck do you think you are doing?!_

*facepalm* Ruru and Zaffiro who were watching intently from a short distance sighed in disappointment. Even Wallace couldn't believe it when he noticed event occur as he showed he Platina the Cave of Origin.

_What? What was that just now? What was Ruby gonna say? _Sapphire was puzzled. She walked over to Ruby who was crouching next to Mimi. It seemed he was muttering something.

"uhm.. Ruby?" Sapphire gently tapped his shoulder. Ruby jolted in surprise… *splash* …and accidentally fell in to the lake.

"Ruby!"

She was scanned the water for a moment. Mimi was about to dive down after him when he popped out of the water with Zuzu's help.

He was soaking wet with a few seaweed dangling from his face. "This …is… just perfect." He slumped himself on Zuzu's head. He gave up caring, and a gloomy aura emitted from him. Sapphire couldn't hold back and burst into boisterous laughter. Her fangs were showing as she rolled on the ground laughing her heart out. Zuzu carried his trainer back onto dry land. Ruby stepped off and removed the slimy seaweed from his head. Unhappy and miserable, he stared at Sapphire. The look on the girl's face completely lightened up his mood. _Oh well, at least she's happy now._ _Next time… for sure._

"Would you stop laughing like a Primeape and get me something to dry myself with?"

The fanged girl's laughter died down but didn't stop. She rummaged through her stuff and tossed a towel at the soaked teen. Then Sapphire called for Popo to come and help Ruby dry him and his clothes. The crimson-eyed boy made a makeshift clothes line out of sticks and hung his long sleeved jacket, shoes and hat, leaving only his pants and inside shirt. He rubbed the towel on his head, trying to dry his hair.

Sapphire watched intently. It was a rare sight for Ruby to take off his hat. His hair was barely visible under the towel.

The weather pokemon used Sunny Day and transformed into an orange jelly ball with small spheres around its head. The sunlight shone down and dried Ruby and his clothes in minutes.

"Thanks Popo." The raven-haired trainer smiled at his Castform and draped the tower over his shoulder. The pokemon reverted back to her usual form and smiled gleefully.

The boy took out his extra clothes. A short sleeve version of the one he previously wore. It was the usual black with an orange pattern which went with his green banded hat. Ruby noticed the wild girl staring at him. He knew she what she was looking at.

Sapphire continued to watch. She was eyeing the two scar marks on the side if his head which was caused by the Salamence incident when they were kids. An incident which changed their lives forever…

* * *

"_Hey let's climb that tree over there!" a little boy covered in dirt and scratches gestured to a tree as he ran up to it and began climbing it. He was very agile and scaled the tree with ease._

"_It's too high…" complained an __extremely delicate and frail- looking _little girl in a frilly blue dress.  


"_No worries!" The small boy grabbed her hand and hoisted her up the tree._

"_Whoa! Careful…"_

* * *

"_Hey, what's that on Coco's head?" the curious 5 year-old Ruby asked, pointing to the frilly ornament on his pokemon."_

_Sapphire, who was a few months younger than Ruby giggled. "It's a hat, silly… look."_

_The Skitty purred in delight as she flaunted her brand new head accessory.  
_

* * *

_Those were the days. Days without a care in the world… days where their first love blossomed. It was a childhood filled with innocent memories and happy dreams until…_

_A loud cry roared from behind the tall, thick bushes and a large dragon emerged from it. Its wide red wings stretched and its eyes narrowed towards the little girl._

"_It's a wild Salamence!" Ruby shouted as he ran towards her._

_The winged lizard barred its sharp teeth and attacked._

"_Look out!" the boy bravely jumped in and moved his friend out of harm's way before leading her to a safer location. _

"_Stay here. I'll protect you!" Ruby declared with confidence and determination._

_He sent out his pokemon, Nana, Coco and Ruru. The three sent out a barrage of attacks. Nana with Hyper Beam, Coco attacked with Iron Tail while Ruru used Confusion._

"_I'll protect her." His eyes became fierce. "I'll definitely protect her…" The girl behind him shuddered._

_The blue dragon broke free from its attackers and aimed its attack on the boy. The events were too fast and Ruby couldn't move out of the way in time. It dealt a hard slash on him. Sapphire screamed as she closed her eyes, wishing that the nightmare would end._

_Ruby regained his balance and clutched the wound on his head. "Dragon Claw, huh?... But I ain't Dad's son for nothing!"_

_Out of nowhere, Coco dealt the final blow - a spiraling Double-edge which sent the Salamence fleeing._

_The crimson-eyed boy then turned to his companion. He was out of breath and panting. "Look, I won! I beat up that Salamence." His voice filled with joy and relief that he defeated a strong opponent and protected his precious friend. Blood flowed from the side of his face where the Salamence's claw struck. He held out his hand and smiled. The pain didn't matter as long as he managed to protect her. "It's okay now. You're safe."_

"…_Scary" the sobbing girl murmured. _

_'...Huh?' He felt a pain in his chest._

_"…So scary." The sobbing sounds continued._

'_...She's still scared…. It's because.. of me… She's scared… of me.' He thought to himself. His heart filled with guilt and regret. _

"…_I'm_..._Sorry" He whispered under his breath._

* * *

Sapphire only remembered bits and pieces of it but her being weak and unable to help at that point was clear as day. That was the reason she trained hard so that she could protect those dear to her.

"Hey, Sapphire!" Ruby sat beside her and waved his hand in front her dazed face.

The girl snapped back into reality and noticed that Ruby was finished drying and changing. His white hat now covered his hair and scars.

"What were you doing?" he asked. "If you keep thinking like that, your head might explode."

The wild girl growled in response. "As if!" Her voice mellowed down. "I was just remembering… that time."

"…What time?"

His response struck her memory._ That's it! I was gonna MAKE him remember it!_

Her eyes suddenly lit up with flames like an inferno. Ruby had a bad feeling about it. A rapid chill ran down his spine.

_I'll force it out of him! He can't escape this time. I've waited long enough. He will remember!_

* * *

**End of Chapter 4**

**I got a lot poetic this time. I know there's a lot of flashbacks.**

**I still have a few doubts if my title will fit the story.**

**We'll just see...**

**Am I getting inconsistent? I got the ideas but things just flow in now and then.**

**I can't tell much from my view point so please review!**

**Any review is greatly appreciated!**


	5. Rivals

**Return to Hoenn  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Rivals**

* * *

Sapphire's burning stare sent shivers down Ruby's spine. She was like a starving Mightyena about to pounce on a helpless Zigzagoon. The only reaction the boy could do was back away from the wild predator…. err-girl.

_Did I say something bad just now? The hell did I do to make her mad? The brain exploding joke couldn't possibly make her this angry. _The terrified boy thought of the possibilities that could have caused him to be in this predicament.

"Ruby!" Sapphire stared him down, her fangs bared letting loose a growl.

"…Y-yes?" He raised his hands in front of him as if saying _'don't hurt me.'_

Her tone and expression suddenly changed and became docile and bashful. "So ..uhm… Y-ya… really don't re-remem-ber?" She avoided eye contact and began fidgeting her scarf.

"..eh?" Her behavior left Ruby confused.

"I mean… ya know…." The girl's face flushed deep red. "That.. I….. y-ya.. l-li.." She couldn't pronounce the next few words.

The perplexed boy barely heard the last parts. Her voice was as soft as a Whismur. "Sa-sapphire?"

The brown-haired girl didn't move. She just stood there avoiding eye contact. Ruby glanced at her face. She was so cute when she became all shy like that. It made him blush just looking at her but he didn't know how to respond. His mind just went blank.

Everything became silent and the tension just grew every moment.

"…So how's it going here in Hoenn?" Ruby broke the silence. The mood was too awkward. He didn't have a choice but to change the subject. _Wrong move dude… Definitely a wrong move…_

Sapphire went with it. "Everyone's doing fine." She was disappointed in herself that she didn't have the courage to pursue her intention after all. She was also disappointed in Ruby for still pretending to forget it.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of a flying car. It hovered above them and slowly descended to an empty space. Platina stepped out with a satisfied look on her face and a journal clutched in one arm. She was followed by Wallace who stared at the two in disappointment.

"Ruby, Wallace's tour was very enlightening. I've learned so much about the legendary pokemon here in Hoenn." The dark haired girl smiled contentedly as she approached Ruby.

She glanced at Sapphire who was still blushing slightly. The azure-eyed girl noticed her gaze. Platina smiled and whispered something in Ruby's ear. He jumped back in surprised. His face was flushed.

"So it wasn't what I thought?" the dark haired girl pondered at his reaction.

Sapphire's jealousy returned._ What did she say to him? What did that look she gave me mean?_

There were a lot of questions left unanswered. None of them knew how to pursue them either.

*sigh* "I believe this is enough for now." Wallace declared seeing the situation taking a turn for the worst.

"How about we get a bite to eat before you all go?" The Sootopolis gym leader suggested. Everyone perked up including the pokemon. "Of course I mean everyone." There was a chorus of gleeful cries, chatter, squeals and roars. Platina's pokemon also joined in.

Ruby's master prepared a lavish feast. "In honor of the return of my dear student and to our lovely visitor…." He glanced over to the two. "Let us toast!"

"Cheers!"

The mood was lively. Everyone had happy smiles on their faces as they enjoyed their food.

Wallace moved over to Ruby and whispered something. "Try not to give others a reason to misunderstand, Ruby."

His student looked at him in confusion. The Hoenn champion merely smiled, "you still have a lot to learn…" He went back to the feast.

The boy with the white hat pondered on his master's words. …_Others? Misunderstand? _

He looked around the room trying to figure out what he meant. The wild girl was chowing down the food in front her while the wealthy heiress daintily ate with small bites and proper table manners.

"Wha-fa loofin af?" *gulp* "Watcha looking at?" Sapphire asked after she became aware his behavior.

"ah, nothing…" Ruby replied and returned to eating.

Sapphire turned her attention to Platina and noticed her lady-like etiquette. She suddenly felt ashamed of herself. _He must have thought I ate like a Snorlax. _She bit her lip. The wild girl observed the well-mannered teen's actions carefully and tried to mimic her as much as she could. It was harder than she thought. Back straight, elbows away from the table…etc. She felt stiff.

Ruby was concerned about her sudden behavior change. Even Platina felt uneasy about Sapphire's display.

"Saph, it's alright to eat like you normally do. You don't have to force yourself" Ruby pointed out.

The brunette felt it was useless after all. She stood up and forced a smile.

"I think I need some air. Be right back!" She ran off.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Ruby was about to chase after her but was stopped by Platina.

"I'll go talk to her." Platina suggested and went after her leaving the crimson-eyed boy and all the pokemon.

Sapphire's pokemon looked at him with concern. Ruru was just as worried.

"It's gonna be okay guys." He tried to reassure them. And soon they went back to eating their meal but their minds were focused on Sapphire.

_Maybe, I should have gone after her. _He thought.

* * *

Outside Wallace's mansion, the brunette found a spot where she could be alone. It was small garden filled with colorful aromatic flowers probably personally grown by the Hoenn champion himself.

_I can't help myself whenever she's around. What's wrong with me? Why do I care so much what she does? _She hated it. She hated herself for being so inferior to her.

"Sapphire?" a voice called for her. The azure-eyed girl knew right away who it was. _Why is she here? Why did she come after me? Just go away!_ Her heart and mind were in turmoil.

"Here you are. Thank Arceus, I found you." Platina appeared.

"I'm just getting some air. Ya didn't have ta come after me." The Hoenn girl held back her tears but her trembling voice was easily noticed.

The dark-haired girl took a deep breath. "You know, it's not good to keep your feelings bottled up." She gave her an encouraging smile.

_What the heck do you know?! _Sapphire remained quiet.

"It's best if you open up to someone. That's what friends are for after all."

".. I guess." She finally spoke.

The young heiress decided to change the topic to lighten up the mood before pursuing the problem further. She watched the flora around them.

"This garden is lovely, don't you think?" Platina asked.

"I guess..." It was the same answer but her expression lit up a bit.

They both took a minute to take in the colorful scenery before they spoke again. The wind carried a mix of flower scents and petals. the aroma was very refreshing.

"There's a town in Sinnoh that was absolutely filled with flowers. They called it Floaroma. It was as Ruby would have put it… _beautiful._

"Ya, I'm sure he would have said that." The azure-eyed girl recalled those times he said those words._ He really has quite the passion for all things 'beautiful'… Pokemon, fashion, decor…people. _The first thing that came to her mind was Platina.

"Ruby must tell ya that a lot too, huh?" Sapphire kept showing a smiling face in front of her self-declared love rival.

Platina understood what she was actually trying to imply. "There were times he said that..."

The brunette girl flinched. She felt her heart being stabbed. _He does think so after all. He really does like her._

"… but he said that more to my pokemon." She added. There was a small joking manner in her tone but didn't help the Sapphire.

The young heiress eyed her observantly. "…There was this person Ruby thought about a lot."

Sapphire's eyes widened as she focused on the other girl's words. Curiosity took over. She was half expecting it to be Platina and the other half hoping it could be her.

"He said _she_ was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen…. especially when she smiled." Platina continued. _He didn't say it exactly but this isn't really lying if he really does feel and think that way._

The wild girl's thought were caught in a whirlpool of conflicting feelings_. _First, she was trying to hide her blushing face by burying in the scarf. Seconds later, she was scribbling the ground with a gloomy aura.

*depression* _It must be Platina. She has a gentle and sweet smile with a face of a princess. _

*blush*_ Then again… It could be… _

*depression*_ No, it couldn't be…. _

*blush* _But it is possible that…_

It went on and on…

It was slightly amusing for Platina. She wanted to give her hope and hints without revealing too much because in the end, Ruby and Sapphire are the only ones who can ease their doubts and answer each other's questions.

The frantic girl finally came to her senses and confronted Platina.

"Do ya know who she is?" Her big blue eyes stared deep into the other girl's deep dark-colored eyes.

Even in that situation, Platina remained composed. "Why don't you ask him, yourself?" She gave a suggestive smile.

"Ya bet I'll do!" a burning flame of optimism and determination lit in her cerulean eyes and she ran off at blazing speed.

"They are quite the handful, aren't they?" asked the wealthy heiress.

Wallace came out from hiding. "They sure are." He chuckled.

Back inside, everyone had finished eating. Ruby had found a quiet place where he could groom everyone's pokemon, particularly the Wild girl's since they were dirtier than the rest. He took out his glasses and necessary equipment.

He had already finished brushing Toro's fire-colored feathers and had moved on to polishing Dono and Rono's rock hard bodies.

"Geez, there's so much dirt on you guys!" He meticulously scrubbed and wiped the edges of the pokemon's armor.

"Watcha expect? Dono's a ground type and Rono's a rock type." An angry voiced echoed through the room.

The crimson-eyed boy turned and saw Sapphire standing at the door. Her usual vigorous aura returned. She was back to normal.

_I don't get why Sapphire has been so moody today. Whatever Platina said worked. It must be a girl thing…. Hormones? _He didn't want pursue the subject further and continued with his cleaning.

Sapphire came closer and sat beside Dono who was currently being groomed by the young contest coordinator on the other side. She stroked his trunk which delighted the elephant-like pokemon.

The blue clothed trainer took a deep breath. "So, uhm.. Ruby?"

The red-eyed groomer looked at her while still continuing his work. "Yeah?"

"Platina was talking about Sinnoh..." She started. The brunette wanted to build up a proper conversation first before she would bring up the all-important question. "Ya guys went and saw a lot of different places, didn'tcha?

_Was that all they were talking about? Weird._ "Yeah, that's right but there were also two others who came with us." Ruby answered.

_Huh? More people were with them?! _The answer caught her by surprise. She didn't know how to respond._ Platina didn't say anything about that!_

"They're friends of Platina. Their names are Pearl and Diamond."

Ruby didn't notice the change in Sapphire's expression. He was too engrossed in polishing Dono's tusks.

_Platina's …. friends? _Judging from the Sinnoh visitor's femininity and her friends' names, she concluded they were also girls. _Just how many girls does Ruby hang out with?! Maybe the mystery girl is one of them?_ She didn't want to believe it. _Just what I need… more Rivals._

* * *

**End of Chapter 5**_  
_

***phew* That took longer than I expected. I had to reread a few parts trying to find more typos.  
**

**I still don't know when I can get to the main parts, I just hope it's not starting to get dragging.**

**Thanks Amenomessage for reading and always giving me a review and possible suggestions! ^_^**

**I also hope for others to review this as well. Thanks in advance.**


	6. A Whole Year

**Return to Hoenn  
**

* * *

**Chapter 6: A Whole Year**

* * *

_It was bright and early. A ship from Hoenn was docked at a harbor in Veilstone City. Ruby just arrived in Sinnoh and was looking for his fellow Dexholders. _

_Sapphire's father, Prof. Birch, contacted Prof. Rowan prior, to aid the contest coordinator in his quests to conquer the Pokemon Super Contest. The resident researcher asked the Sinnoh trio to accompany Ruby around the region._

"_We're finally gonna meet another Dexholder!"A blonde boy wearing a green scarf exclaimed as he ran around scanning the passengers descending from the ferry._

"_Another Dexholder! Another Dexholder" excitedly echoed by a Chatot who was flying above, helping his trainer search._

"_Slow down, Pearl, it's too early. I haven't even finished breakfast yet." A boy wearing a red beret followed leisurely behind him with a pastry in his hands and a Munchlax chowing down on berries at his side._

"_C'mon, Dia- I mean Diamond." Pearl ran back to his friend. "Aren't you at least excited to even meet him?"_

"_Kinda…" Dia replied as he continued eating._

"_According to Prof. Rowan, he's around our age and has won 4 contest ribbons in each category for a total of 20 ribbons. He also won previous contests in Johto." Explained by a dainty dark-haired girl as she reviewed the notes the professor gave her regarding their guest. _

"_Missy, I mean, Platina! Let me have a look!" Pearl immediately rushed to her side and took a peek at whatever the girl was reading. He saw a picture clipped on one of the pages and instinctively grabbed it._

_It was a picture of a boy with crimson red eyes. He wore a white hat with a red band and matching black and red clothes and beside him was a beautiful cream-colored serpent with captivating scarlet eyes and pink and blue scales surrounding its tail._

_The blonde carefully examined the image. "When I heard a boy winning Pokemon Contests, I couldn't even picture it out." His excitement suddenly diminished. _

_Diamond also glanced at the photo. _

"_Well, at the bright side, he won't be easy to miss." Pearl returned the picture to Platina and sighed in disappointment. 'I thought it was gonna be a cool dude not some prissy prince.' He thought._

"_Yeah, Pearl's right. He is easy to spot." Dia gestured to a boy wearing a white hat and walking around as if he was looking for someone._

_The other two were caught by surprise and turned around to the direction the carefree boy was pointing at and sure enough, they spotted Ruby. Pearl with renewed energy darted towards him with Chahiko, his Chatot._

_*sigh* "This place is bigger than I expected." The crimson eyed boy took a moment to get used to the new atmosphere before he was jumped by a colorful bird pokemon._

"_Another Dexholder!" It chattered enthusiastically while flapping around him._

"_eh?!" Ruby didn't know how to respond. He didn't expect a pokemon to know he has a pokedex let alone talk._

"_Chahiko! Don't surprise him like that…." The Chatot trainer popped out of the crowd with a huge grin on his face and gestured his pokemon away from the other boy. "I'm Pearl! You must be Ruby." He held out his hand to greet him. _

_The Hoenn trainer was stull flustered but he managed to regain his composure and shook the blonde boy's hand. "Yeah, nice to meet you."_

"_Pearl, could you slow down once in a while?" A boy with a red beret came towards them and beside him a dark-haired girl wearing a white bonnet._

"_Diamond is right Pearl. You don't want to be rude to our guest." The girl said._

_Ruby stared at the two newcomers particularly at the girl. She had an unexplainable presence around her. Her hair was jet-black and silky as a Mightyena's newly brushed coat. Her eyes had long eye lashes. She was extremely feminine. 'Beautiful' was the first thing that crossed his mind. He felt as if he'd seen her somewhere but he couldn't remember._

_Platina smiled and began to introduce herself as well as Diamond. "Good day and welcome to Sinnoh. My name is Platina and this is my friend Diamond." She gestured to the boy beside her. Dia nodded in response. "..And you've already met Pearl and his Chatot, Chahiko."_

_Then it struck him. "Platina? You mean 'the' Lady Platina of the esteemed Berlitz family?!" Ruby couldn't believe he was in front of such a prestigious person. The wealthy heiress nodded, maintaining her composure._

_He tidied himself. Then immediately rushed in front of her and knelt down on one knee. "It is an honor to be in the presence of someone such as you, Lady Platina." He bowed down like a knight in front a princess. The people around them started staring and whispering._

_Platina was surprised but didn't show it. "Please, there is no need to be so formal." She said plainly._

"_C'mon, man, get up! It's embarrassing!" Pearl grabbed Ruby's arm and pulled him up._

"_Platina's right. You should just take it easy." Diamond said as he was finishing the last of his food._

_The Hoenn trainer stood up straight and drew his arm away from the blonde boy. "How can you say that? Lady Platina is a prominent icon in the Sinnoh Region. Not only that she…"_

_Ruby continued on and on about Platina's background and biography with such detail and enthusiasm. Pearl sighed. 'He's worse than I could have imagined.' Dia listened. He found some parts interesting and more or less he was just curious. The Sinnoh girl was amused at the Hoenn trainer's exuberance._

"_Alright! That's enough." Pearl who was starting to get agitated interrupted Ruby. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "To commemorate your visit to here, Dia-I mean Diamond…" Dia knew what he was gonna say and went to his side. "..And I will show you one of our famous 'manzais'!"_

"_..Manzia?" Ruby stopped and listened as he was curious about this particular welcoming gesture. Platina waited eagerly to hear what her two best friends come up with._

_*****(I'll just simplify it. I'm not that good. So here goes my attempt at a Manzai!)_

_Pearl: When you think of Pokemon!_

_Diamond: When think of Pokemon.._

_Pearl: You think of regions!_

_Diamond: Yeah, there are a lot of them…_

_Pearl: There's Johto, Kanto, Unova, Hoenn and Sinnoh!_

_Diamond: Unova-rious pokemon live in different regions…_

_Pear: Yup, but there are some regions that also have the same pokemon!_

_Diamond: I Sinnoh-t what you mean.._

_Pearl: Zubats as well as Pikachus can be found in Kanto, and also in Johto, Hoenn and even Sinnoh ._

_Diamond: Hoenn-teresting…_

_*****(..How was it? It was worth a shot…)*****_

_The people around them started laughing even Platina was giggling. Pearl glanced back at their guest from Hoenn. Ruby had a perplexed expression. 'Huh? What's wrong with him?!' the blonde boy thought._

"…_Was that supposed to be a joke? Or something?"_

_Pearl couldn't take it anymore. "Seriously?! Are you that a stick in the mud?"_

"_Excuse me?! What do you mean a stick in the mud?!" Ruby's eyes were flaring. He was holding back as much as he could. "I dare you to say that again!"_

"_I think you're some prissy little pretty boy who can't enjoy a good joke."_

_The two boys glared at each other. It didn't seem they were ever going to get along at all._

"_Calm down you two.." Dia tried to persuade them to stop fighting._

_The two looked at him angrily. "Stay out of this!" the carefree boy flinched and backed off._

_Platina sighed and intervened. She managed to separate the two but they were still in a bad mood. Dia tried to calm his manzai partner while Platina talked to Ruby._

"_I'm sorry about Pearl's behavior. He can be short-tempered sometimes but he's really nice once you get to know him." The dark-haired girl gave him a gentle smile._

_Ruby took a deep breath before speaking. "It's fine. Sometimes people just snap without thinking of the consequences… I know that very well." He glanced at the pokeballs on his belt particularly at Mimi, his Milotic._

_Platina noticed the tender expression he gave to his pokemon. 'He might actually be a very nice person. If we all got to know more about each other, I'm sure we'll be great friends.'_

_Pearl managed to regain his cool and walked back to Platina and Ruby. Diamond followed behind with Lax, his Munchlax, and Chahiko._

"_Sorry… I went overboard." The blonde avoided eye contact but attempted to apologize anyway._

_Ruby didn't mind his behavior. "I apologize as well. I have a lot on my mind since I've arrived." He reached out his hand to call a truce between them. Pearl hesitated but took his hand in the end._

"_So let's head over to Hearthome City." Platina suggested. "That's where the Pokemon Super Contests are held."_

"_It's convenient isn't it? You won't have to travel to other cities to compete." Dia pointed out._

_Ruby's expression changed. Suddenly he was serious and deep in thought. "…Actually, I had other reasons for coming here." The Sinnoh trio was confused. "We can head to Hearthome but if we could I'd rather prefer we take the long route."_

* * *

Ruby reminisced on the day he first met Pearl, Diamond and Platina. He looked nostalgic. "Pearl and I didn't get along at first. That blonde was too hyper, short-tempered and obnoxious but after some time of traveling together, we learned a lot about each other and became friends. I also helped fix the claws of Pearl's Luxray, Rayhiko." He continued his storytelling as he was finishing Dono off with a pedicure.

Sapphire looked at him as she rested her head on her arms on Dono's back. Her mind was filled of imaginary thoughts of Pearl and Ruby. She was reminded of their relationship when they first met. They took off on the wrong foot but they became best friends in the end and possibly much more.

The crimson-eyed groomer moved on to Pilo who was lying down on the floor. He gently brushed its neck, making the Tropius more relaxed. Ruby's eyes caught the sight of the fruit growing on the sides of the leaf-winged dino's head and he was reminded of Diamond. He would have loved to eat them.

"Diamond taught me how to make poffins though I suggested on the correct flavor and Dia's the complete opposite of Pearl. Carefree, calm, and slow. I couldn't believe they were partners."

_A lot happened in a year. It seems he got to meet new people, see new faces, learn new things, and experience new….love? _Sapphire's jealousy shifted to a different subject. She was envious of Ruby and his newfound adventure. "I wish I could have gone ta Sinnoh too. I could have challenged the Gym leaders there. We would have made another bet!" She grinned at the last part.

Then she thought of something. _It only took us 80 days to finish our goal. Why did Ruby need a whole year to be in Sinnoh. Even if the contests there were difficult, I doubt with his abilities that it would actually take that long. Why a whole year?_

* * *

**End of Chapter 6**

**I think I failed at the Manzai... Oh well. I think the fail part was funny though.**

**I'm gonna add a few sideline stories. Ruby centered! **

**I just hope I'm getting the personalities right.**

**Thanks for the reviews! They make me so happy and eager to write as soon as I can.  
I'm glad more people are reading it... ^_^  
I erased the *flashback* part. I tried making my own version of -*- but it either disappears or looks weird. *-*  
**

**Please review! I hope for more new reviewers and support from previous reviewers.**


	7. End the Day

**Return to Hoenn  
**

* * *

**Chapter 7: End the Day**

* * *

It bothered her. A whole year is a long time. A really long time. They greeted each other on occasions like New Year, Christmas, Birthdays…Valentines but it couldn't replace the actual presence of being by each other's side. They were rivals, childhood friends, best friends…

"Ruby, why were ya gone for a long time?" Sapphire asked as she looked at the boy grooming her pokemon.

The boy hesitated a moment before he answered, "What are you talking about, Saph? I went to take on the Pokemon Super Contests, remember?" He smiled in a joking manner. It was the same smile he'd use to cover up secrets. His best friend was all too familiar with it even after a year. She saw through it right away.

The contest coordinator got up and called his pokemon. They immediately lined up in presentable poses and showed off their newly added ribbons. Even Nene who was swimming in a vacant fish bowl and Zaffiro got ribbons to show. "See, all my 'beautiful' pokemon did a fabulous job in Sinnoh." He said proudly. His pokemon were delighted and raised their head in pride.

Sapphire couldn't argue with that but she didn't shrug off the subject. "I know that. What else have ya been doing in Sinnoh?" She was calm. She didn't want to force the answers right away.

"Traveling, sightseeing…. You know tourist stuff.."

He was doing it again. Making up irrelevant stuff to cover up the truth. Sapphire stood up and approached him. The pokemon around them waited in anticipation. Ruru and Zaffiro looked worried. Mimi was also concerned. She leaned over to Ruby who was keeping his head down. "I'm fine Mimi, It'll be alright." He gently patted the Milotic's head and confronted the blue-eyed brunette.

"I know yer hiding something so spit it out already!" Her tone was angry but it was calmer than her usual way. She stood her ground in front of him. Ruby kept his cool. He knew that lying again will only make it worse. He was silent.

Then he went over to his backpack and started looking through his stuff. Sapphire came closer and carefully watched from behind. The crimson-eyed boy glanced back at her with a serious look. "You sure you want to know?"

The blue-eyed girl swallowed hard. "Ya betcha!" The fires in her eyes burned.

Ruby turned around, pulled something from his pack and stood up. "Well, here it is…"

Sapphire's eyes widened.

"Ta-dah!" Ruby shouted with a huge smile across his face as he presented a pile of colorful portfolios with pictures of his pokemon.

The brunette was dumbstruck. "What?!"

He opened a file about Ruru and Zaffiro. There was a picture of them holding each other's hands in a field of flowers. "This here was taken in Floaroma Town. Isn't the scenery just beautiful? Those two are just perfect for each other, don't you think? " His eyes glistened with appreciation for his pokemon and photography skills.

The Gardevoir was hiding her blushing face while the Gallade was beside her looking in a different direction as to not let anyone see him flustered.

"And here's one with Mimi in a lake filled with Lumineon." He presented his Milotic's portfolio with a picture inside. The photo had glimmering lake with moonlit scenery. Mimi was wading under the moon's reflection with her head gazing towards the moon. The Lumineon were swimming around. They looked like moving stars underwater.

"It was near this lake that I got Nene when she was just an egg. A kind lady living in the area gave it to me." He took out a photo of a small black egg with pink and blue neon stripes. It was inside a glass covered incubator.

"The landscapes in Sinnoh are a truly magnificent sight to behold!" The beauty-obsessed boy declared as he was emitted shimmering aura.

*sweat drop* _That's it?! He went to Sinnoh... for photo backgrounds!_ "Ugh! ...I can't take it anymore. I'm outta here. See ya later, you crazy beauty-obsessed moron!" Sapphire walked out of the room. Toro, along with the rest of her pokemon decided to tag along. The Blaziken remained at her side while the rest returned to their pokeballs.

Ruby gave a relieved sigh. He returned his portfolios to his backpack._ Sorry, Saph. There's someone who needs to know this before you do. _Then he took out a small metal case. Inside it were four Sinnoh Gym Badges. The Cobble Badge from Veilstone City, the Fen Badge from Pastoria, the Relic Badge from the City of Hearthome and the Beacon Badge from Sunyshore.

The boy's pokemon looked at him and he glanced back at them with a smile. "I couldn't have done it without you guys. Thanks…" His pokemon sounded in a joyful chorus.

* * *

Back at the garden, Wallace was telling Platina about the rest of the story of how he met Ruby, and how he and Sapphire saved Hoenn as well as tips on conditioning a pokemon for contests. The Sinnoh guest carefully took down notes of certain details in her journal.

Then a blue figure walked past them.

"Ah, Sapphire. Out for another walk?" The Sootopolis Gym leader called the girl's attention.

She turned around upon hearing his voice. "Oh, Wallace!" She noticed the dark-haired beside him. "You're here too, Platina?" She approached them with her Blaziken following behind her.

Platina immediately took interest in her fire pokemon. "Excuse me, Sapphire. May I?" She took out her pokedex and gestured at the Blaziken.

"Oh, sure. Toro won't mind." The blue-eyed girl tapped her starter pokemon and Toro went over to Platina who started analyzing her.

"So how was your time with Ruby?" Wallace popped a question which caught Sapphire by surprise.

"Huh? Nothing happened. That fashion-freak was too busy drooling over his pokemon's pictures." She answered with an irritated look in her face.

"So you didn't get to ask him, then?" Platina asked as she was writing the final data in her book.

Sapphire sighed and became depressed. "How could I?... After he mentioned Pearl and Diamond."

Platina was surprised. "What about Pearl and Diamond?

"Well, uhm.." The brunette didn't know how to say it.

"Who are these, Pearl and Diamond?" Wallace asked.

"They're my two close friends back in Sinnoh." Platina answered. "They're a really funny pair especially when they perform their 'manzai'." She smiled at the memories that flashed through her thoughts.

"Hmm… Does Ruby get along well with them?" The blue-haired contest coordinator continued asking before he could make further conclusions. Sapphire listened to the conversation.

"Pearl and Ruby didn't get along well till much later though. Boys will be boys, I guess. Dia and Ruby, on the other hand, easily became friends because he taught him how to make poffins." The Sinnoh girl explained.

"..Wait! Boys?" Sapphire jolted at the sudden realization.

Platina was puzzled. "Yes, Pearl and Dia are boys." She took out a photo that Ruby took of them out of her journal and handed it over to Sapphire. Wallace also took a look at the photo.

It was a picture of three people with their pokemon. Platina was in the middle riding her Rapidash with two boys beside her. One was a blonde wearing a green scarf with a bird pokemon on his arm. The other was a black haired boy wearing a beret. He was drinking Moomoo milk with a small chubby pokemon munching berries at his side.

The dark-haired girl pointed out which one was Pearl and which one was Diamond. Sapphire gaped at the picture. _Boys!? They were boys?! Arceus hates me! _There was a gloomy cloud hovering above her.

"Sapphire? Are you alright?" Platina asked, seeing her sudden depressed state.

The blue clothed brunette glanced back at her. "No need ta worry about me. I'll be fine." She was slightly laughing at herself. _Boys.. What was I thinking?! _

Toro came over to her with concern. Then the Blaziken became alert as it sensed someone's presence.

They heard a voice coming towards them. A silhouette came closer. It was Ruby.

"I think it's time to leave. My mom called. I still have stuff to unpack and Platina has to settle in at the Hotel in Rustboro."

"Very well." Wallace declared. "It was nice seeing everyone again and it was a pleasure for a lovely lady to visit our fair city in Hoenn." He knelt down and gave a white rose to Platina.

The Sinnoh visitor smiled. She remembered the day when Ruby first came to their region. He also knelt down like his master.

"Thank you master for your hospitality." Ruby bowed in respect for his master.

The Hoenn champion smiled and hugged him which greatly surprised his student. "Welcome back to Hoenn, Ruby."

Ruby hugged him back. "It's great to be home."

Sapphire recovered and smiled at the sight of the master and student. Platina was also happy to see such a relationship.

Half an hour later, they were back in the air riding on Pilo, Sapphire's Tropius. Ruby looked at his watch it was almost 5pm. He was already starting to feel tired. Platina was also getting sleepy. The cool air also added to their drowsiness. Sapphire, who always had loads of energy, yawned. _It must be from all the stress this day has given me. _And what a stressful day it was.

They first dropped off Platina near her hotel. It was a large, expensive looking hotel. Sapphire couldn't believe it but it seemed normal for the rich heiress and Ruby.

"Will you be alright from here, Platina?" Ruby asked. He returned to his gentleman-like chaperon persona. "I could walk you all the way to the front desk."

"No need, thank you anyway for your offer, Ruby." Platina smiled.

Sapphire's uneasiness returned. _Please, just let this day end already!_

"I'll see you both tomorrow." The Sinnoh trainer waved at them while looking over to Sapphire who somehow looked melancholic. The blue eyed girl turned and looked at her as the young heiress gave her an encouraging smile before she headed towards the entrance of the hotel.

"Sweet dreams, milady!" Ruby shouted in a half-joking manner which increased Sapphire's agitation.

Then they took off again this time heading for Littleroot. The wild girl was silent. Something caught Ruby's eye.

"Hey, Saph…" the girl felt his hands touch her shoulders. She jumped in shock. Her face became bright pink.

"What? I was just adjusting your scarf. It was loose and it's starting to get dark. .. And I thought you'd be cold." The crimson-eyed boy hid his expression and did his best not to blush.

Sapphire's face grew redder than the sunset sky which was dyed in bright red and pink with a bit of orange underneath the clouds. She adjusted the scarf on her own and sat back down. "T-there. It's fine now."

She glanced back at Ruby who was staring with a gentle smile. "Watcha looking at this time?!" Her face was completely flustered.

"..Huh? Sorry, I was gazing at the sunset." Ruby replied as he continued watching the horizon.

Disappointed, Sapphire turned and stared at the scenery that caught Ruby's attention. It was actually a stunning sight. The sun was almost disappearing behind the tall trees. The sky was in a harmony of hues. She appreciated it better now that Ruby is with her now. She clutched her scarf and smiled.

"A beautiful way to end the day. I'd say." Ruby said.

"Yeah. A way to end the day."

* * *

**End of Chapter 7**

***phew* See If I get more reviews I'll update as fast as I can!  
Thanks for the reviews. They make me so happy I read them 3-5 times after I first see them.  
**

**I'm adjusting previous chapters and scanning for typos. *sigh* I can be blind as a Zubat sometimes..**

**Btw. What's Ruby's Mom's name? In the anime Norman's wife is Caroline. Should I just use that?  
I'm basing more on the manga... If anyone has name suggestions, I can try that too.  
**

**Pls. review and let me know how's the story!  
Review and I'll post the next Chapter!  
**


	8. The Truth

**Return to Hoenn  
**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Truth**

* * *

Ruby and Sapphire arrived at Littleroot Town where Prof. Birch and Ruby's parents along with Nana and Coco awaited their arrival. Little had changed in that small town. It was still the same peaceful place that Ruby remmebered. Pilo landed on an empty space and the two teens dismounted.

The Mightyena and Delcatty immediately pounced on their owner with excitement and tackled him to the ground before they showered him with licks and nuzzles.

"Okay, that's enough. That tickles!" Ruby laughed as he tried to sit up. "I get it. I missed you too." The crimson-eyed trainer gently stroked their heads and they happily moved aside wagging their tails. Sapphire pulled him up while giggling at their antics.

By the time he stood up straight, his mom, Caroline, gave him a huge hug which almost made him fall again. "Welcome home, sweetie!" There were tears in her eyes as she embraced her son.

"Mom, we just saw each other this morning…" Ruby tried to break free but it was useless. After he heard somewhat of a soft sobbing sound, he sighed and returned her embrace. "I missed you too, mom."

"It's nice to have you back, Ruby!" Prof. Birch said as he waved at him.

The young boy looked at him and saw his dad standing beside the pokemon researcher. He had his arms crossed in front of him with a soft expression on his face. It was rare. They just looked at each other without a single word coming from either one of them.

"We're home, Dad!" Sapphire returned Pilo to the forest and she rushed to her father's side.

"Ah, Sapphire. Welcome home, too." Prof. Birch stroked her daughter's head and smiled.

Norman finally spoke. "Why don't you two have dinner over at our place to celebrate Ruby's return? It's been a long time since our families got together."

"Splendid idea!" Birch replied. Sapphire also nodded in agreement.

Ruby's mom finally released her son. "Then it's settled!"

The red-eyed boy took a moment to breathe before they all went inside the house. Sapphire and her father settled in the living room. Ruby's parents prepared dinner with Caroline cooking and Norman setting the table.

Ruby looked around._ It's been a year. Nothing much has changed._ He smiled at the framed photos of him with his pokemon . There were pictures of his mom and dad as well. The atmosphere felt the same as before. Old memories began to flash through his mind. Nana and Coco led him up to his room to prepare for dinner.

The boy lay on his bed. The familiar scent was welcoming. _I'm home. After all this time… _Some thoughts circled in his head. They were mostly the times he spent in Sinnoh. He arose from his bed and unpacked his belongings. Then he brought out the small metal case containing the badges and placed it on the desk. The two pokemon sniffed it and looked at him worryingly. _This is going to be harder than I thought. _He sighed deeply.

Minutes later, Caroline called Ruby to come and to eat. He tidied himself and came down.

Ruby sat in front, being the celebrant and all. Sapphire sat on one side and the other his mom. Prof. Birch sat next to his daughter and Norman sat next to his wife. Nana and Coco had their own food bowls in the kitchen and proceeded to eat there.

The setting was very touching. The food was delicious. Ruby felt nostalgic eating his mom's cooking. Everyone had smiles on their faces even the stern gym leader. Ruby told stories of Sinnoh but left some parts out. He included Platina, Pearl and Diamond. Prof. Birch and his daughter laughed when he told them about the manzai. Caroline asked about the blue scarf around the Sapphire's neck. The young brunette flustered when Ruby said he made it for her. The adults looked at each other with a suggestive grin and laughed. It was a heartwarming being surrounded by friends and family.

* * *

After dinner, Sapphire and his father thanked them for the meal and went home.

"So did anything interesting happen today?" Prof. Birch asked his daughter.

The brown-haired girl recalled the stress that this day had given her. She glared at her father, giving him the _'I don't wanna talk about it' _look_. _

Prof. Birch cringed in fear and regret for having asked that_. _Then his daughter irritably stomped inside their house went into her room.

* * *

Back inside, Ruby helped his mom clean up the table.

"It was nice having Sapphire and her father over. We should do this more often now that our son's home." Caroline suggested as she was washing the dishes.

"I agree. It's nice doing things as a family." Norman said. He sat down in the living room couch and watched TV as the rest of his family finished the last of the cleaning.

Ruby flinched when his dad mentioned, '..as a family.' They got closer as a family after the Hoenn incident but they didn't have much to talk about. He knew his dad loved him and that he'd do anything to protect him and his mom but there was still an awkward gap between the two males. A gap that was made in those years his dad left in search of Rayquaza. That memory was still vivid in Ruby's mind.

* * *

_Norman's Flygon came out of the pokeball and flapped its wings, readying to depart. Its whistling sound resonated in the air. Caroline was fixing her son's shirt after she had finished bandaging his injury._

"_Come, Ruby. It's time to say goodbye to daddy, now." The short-haired woman stroked her son's face as she tried to hold back her tears._

_Ruby squirmed away from her and walked up to his father._

"_Daddy?" His eyes were filled with confusion "..Are you gonna stop teaching me battles?"_

_Norman kept his composure in front of the boy. "From now on, Ruby, you've got to get stronger on your own. Don't do things halfheartedly. Keep going till the end…. I won't be there to guide you anymore."_

_Ruby stared at him at disbelief. His eyes welling up with tears. 'No, Daddy, don't leave.'_

"_True strength lies in overcoming obstacles with your own power." That was the last advice he could give to his five year-old son before he would be gone for who knows how long. He didn't want to go but it was for his sake. There was no other choice._

_The small boy grabbed his father's leg. "No! I wanna go with you!" His voice was filled with sadness and desperation. 'Why are you leaving?…'_

_Norman took out his Slaking and the pokemon scooped up the child with his large hands._

"_Daddy!" Ruby tried to break free but it was futile. '….Please stay.'_

_He continued shouting but Norman ignored his words. _

"_I want Daddy to keep teaching me!"_

_'Stay with me...'_

"_I wanna grow stronger with you watching!"_

_'I don't want to be.. alone'_

_The Gym leader aspirant mounted on his Flygon and flew off without a second glance.  
_

"_..Don't go… Don't leave me." The boy's shouts became whispers muffled under his trembling voice._

_The dragon pokemon's silhouette soon disappeared into the distance._

_Ruby was alone._

* * *

All of a sudden, Nana started nudging Ruby's leg. "Huh? What is it, Nana? He looked at his Mightyena and was surprised to see her holding the metal case in her mouth.

Nana backed away, knowing his owner would snatch it at any second. Ruby placed the last of the plates near the sink in a hurry and confronted the wolf pokemon.

"Nana, give it back." He was starting to panic. He spread his arms apart, attempting to corner her. The Mightyena nodded in disagreement and looked at him as if it was saying '_this is for your own good.' _

She bounded towards the living room catching Norman's attention. Ruby chased after her like his life depended on it._ Nana, NOOOoooo...!  
_

He pounced on her and managed to grab her but the metal case was knocked out of her mouth, only to be picked up by his dad. Ruby went pale when he saw it. _Arceus is cruel. _Nana, having done her deed, bolted back into the kitchen.

"What's this thing?" Norman inspected the object that made his son so desperate to get it.

Ruby scrambled to his feet and rushed to grab the case before his dad could open it. "Wait, Dad!"

Alas, he was too late. The gym leader opened the small metallic case and was surprised. In fact he was speechless.

Caroline glanced into the living room to see what all the commotion was about but Coco and Nana nudged her away. Then she understood it was something between father and son. _I hope everything works out between them._

There was an awkward wall between them. Ruby's thoughts were a mess. _Nana, why did you have to go and… Damn it! _He avoided eye contact with his dad. He felt there was something in his throat that prevented him from speaking.

Norman felt the tension around them. He went over to Ruby and placed his hand on the young trainer's hat.

"You've grown taller." He said plainly.

The boy was caught off guard but because of that he calmed down a bit and his mind finally settled.

"I guess." He replied with a soft smile on his face.

There was moment of silence.

"If you have something on your mind, just say it." Norman's voice was not cold as before. It was warm in a fatherly way. "I shall listen..."

Ruby met his gaze. The gym leader handed him the metal case and his son hesitantly took it. He lowered his head again as he clutched the item in his hands.

Norman sat back down at the coach and gestured him to sit with him. The boy walked over and sat next to his father. There was just about a foot in distance between them. He stared at the rectangular object in his hand.

_There's no turning back now. I got to say it. All this time, I was never able to tell people anything._ He recalled all those times he lied to people in order to cover up his actions.

_ I always hid and ran away from everything including myself._ The memory of him leaving home as well as that time in Foretree where they fought the Grumpig came to his mind.

I_ promised before I left for Sinnoh. I'll be strong and face who I really am and do what I want without fear of people rejecting me. _He remembered the Salamence incident where he told himself he'd never let anyone see him battle because he didn't want to be alone.

_It was time that everyone hears the truth._

* * *

**End of Chapter 8  
**

**I think this chapter is so touching. I like Norman and Ruby.  
Its shorter than I predicted it in my head. But I still like it!  
**

**Norman really does have a soft spot for Ruby though he can be really strict sometimes.  
Its just cause he loves him. Tough love.  
**

**I'm a little afraid of writing pokemon battles. It sounds hard...  
I'll do my best!**

**This is part of the sideline story I said I'd write.  
I'm also thinking of changing the title...  
Ideas just randomly flow in so the story is starting to stray from the title.  
How about "Back to Hoenn" IDK. Its debatable!  
**

**I hope for more reviews...**


	9. Father and Son

**Return to Hoenn  
**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Father and Son**

* * *

Norman waited patiently for his son to talk. The boy was fidgeting the case full of gym badges in his hands.

Ruby took a deep breath and began. "When I said that I hated pokemon battles, it wasn't necessarily true. What I hated wasn't the battles itself… It was the way I battle."

Norman was taken back for a moment but he continued to listen intently.

"Back then, when you took the Gym Leader application test, do you still remember it?" Ruby asked as he stared at the ceiling as if he was picturing out the events that occurred on that faithful day.

"Yes, that day you encountered the Salamence and that day I…left." Norman almost couldn't say the last word. There was still a feeling of guilt. He believed he was the cause of him hating battles but decided to hear the full story first.

The crimson-eyed boy hesitated for a while. "I fought that Salamence in order to protect my playmate. I didn't realize that was Sapphire long ago because I was still really small and I couldn't remember much of the details."

He clutched the case tightly in his hands. "I fought it and…" He lowered his head and held back the sadness and regret that came with that memory. His hands started trembling._ C'mon man up! Tell him._

"…Ruby." His father placed his hand on his son's shoulder.

It was somehow encouraging. His trembling stopped almost immediately. This was a father-son moment that Ruby never imagined to experience. Now, here he is, having a heart to heart talk with his old man.

"I managed to defeat it even if it left this scar on my head." He took off his hat and held it tightly along with the case.

Norman eyed the claw marks on the side of Ruby's head then shifted his gaze towards the boy's face.

"Sapphire was crying when I came back to her side… But she wasn't crying because she was scared of the dragon pokemon nor was it because of my injury…" The raven-haired boy swallowed hard. "…It was because of me."

Ruby's father was surprised. "Why would you think that?" He asked in calm voice.

"It was because of my aggressiveness that I scared her. I tainted her crystal clear heart." Tears flowed from the boy's eyes. He tried to hold it back but it was no use. It was out of his control. It was harder opening up to his father compared to Wallace, his master.

Norman wrapped his arm around his son and held him close with the boy's head leaning on his father's chest. The Gym leader didn't say a word. He just held him.

"..And after you left, I realize I was alone." Ruby started trembling again but not just his hands but his whole body. "..I was alone."

Ruby's father flinched. He didn't know what to say. He had no idea his son was undergoing something like that when he left.

Moments passed. The young boy calmed down. "From then on, I decided to stray away from brute strength and pokemon battles. I followed the path of beauty and entered pokemon contests instead so that no one could ever see me battle again."

"So, why did you go to Sinnoh to battle the gyms there?" Norman asked. He felt it was alright now to go to that subject.

Ruby broke away from his father and sat up as he wiped away the traces of his tears. He was smiling now. A huge weight was taken off from his shoulders. He opened the case and looked at the gym badges.

"I realized after the Hoenn incident that I couldn't run away forever. No matter where I went or what I do, my battle reflexes got the better of me." Ruby stared at his hand as he clutched it into a fist. "I wanted to find myself so I went to a place where no one really knows me. There, I battled gyms and entered contests just to find out what I really want to do."

Norman looked at him. His son was growing up. He felt proud to be his father. He remembered those days before he took the test to be a gym leader and they were still living in Johto.

* * *

_A small red-eyed boy with black hair was being carried on Norman's arm. The lad was just about 3-4 years old. The two were enjoying a leisurely stroll in Goldenrod City._

"_Why Norman, out for a walk with little Ruby, are we?" A woman in her late twenties asked. She was one of their neighbors. She smiled sweetly at the boy. "My, he looks like a mini you. Except for the eyes, they're from Caroline. I presume." Norman had black eyes and hair in contrast to his wife with scarlet eyes and brown hair._

_Ruby's father chuckled at the comment. "We get that a lot. Maybe Ruby will start wearing a hat for a change." He ruffled the little boy's head with his free hand._

"_I'm sure he'll grow up to be a strong trainer as you." The woman added._

_Before Norman could say a word, Ruby interrupted. "You bet! I'm gonna be grow up to be just like Daddy!" He grinned. His voice was filled with eagerness and pride as his small hands held to his father's shoulder tightly._

_Norman leaned his head on his son and laughed softly. The boy snuggled innocently against his father. Their neighbor, not wanting to interrupt them, bid goodbye after giggling at the child's cuteness._

"_But first, you need to have a pokemon." Norman said._

_Ruby's eyes widened as a huge smile formed on his face. "Really?!"_

"_Yes, but before that, let's go find you a hat. I wonder if your mom has any ideas."_

* * *

"So have you finally decided on what you want?" Norman asked.

The crimson-eyed boy returned his hat to his head and stood up. "Yes, I have."

Norman waited with anticipation. Though he still wanted him to be a trainer, Ruby was his son and whatever road he'll choose, as a father, he'll support it no matter what.

"I want to enter pokemon contests." The boy replied.

The gym leader expected as much. He exhaled deeply and stood up.

"..But I also like battling." He added.

Norman was taken back for a second. He was surprised of what his son said.

Ruby turned to him. "I got a lot stronger and I have more new pokemon." He chuckled.

_Sapphire is going to kill me for this but I'll worry about that later. _"I want to get my 5th badge but I want it to be here in Hoenn." He stared at his father.

Norman knew where this was going and he wouldn't want it any other way. "I won't go easy on you." His strict gym leader demeanor surfaced.

"Likewise." Ruby's eyes were somewhat fierce and eager for their upcoming battle.

Caroline finally entered the living room with Nana and Coco at either side. "Alright, you two that's enough."

She gave them a warm smile and went over to Ruby. "It's been a long day and I'm sure you're really tired, sweetie."

The young boy finally realized how tired he actually was and yawned loudly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm going to bed." He walked up to his room with Nana and Coco close behind.

"I'll be waiting at the gym." Norman said.

His wife wrapped her arms around his. She knew how proud his husband must be feeling.

In his room, Ruby changed into his pajamas and put away his badges before he flopped on the bed. He didn't dare look at the time.

Coco settled down on a mat at the foot of the bed. Nana checked his trainer to see if he was still mad at her. The wolf pokemon pouted with its head resting on the bed.

His trainer remembered when he first received Nana as a present from his father.

* * *

_Little Ruby was waiting with anticipation when he learned that his dad was coming home with a pokemon for him. He was wearing a white beanie hat that his mom picked out for him._

"_Is Daddy here yet?" the crimson-eyed boy kept staring out the window of their house hoping to see a glimpse of his father and his future pokemon._

_Caroline picked up her son and carried him. "Just be patient, Ruby. Daddy went all the way to his friend Birch, who lives in Hoenn, to get you your first pokemon."_

_Ruby's excitement grew. He couldn't wait any longer. Then the sound of the doorknob clicking alerted his ears. His mother smiled and put him down and the boy rushed to the door._

_A raven-haired man entered the house holding a pokeball in his hand._

"_Daddy! Welcome home!" Ruby with a huge smile hugged his father's leg._

_Caroline came towards his husband and greeted him. "Welcome home, dear."_

"_Daddy! Where's my pokemon?" His eyes stared at him pleadingly._

_Norman chuckled and knelt down and handed his son a pokeball. Ruby released his leg and turned his attention on the red and white sphere his father handed him. Inside it was a small gray pup with yellow eyes._

_Ruby's father let the pokemon out of its pokeball. The wolf pup pokemon cautiously sniffed around. Ruby approached it with much curiosity of a child his age. The pokemon turned its attention and started sniffing him. Then it licked his face. The boy laughed as the little pup pounced on him and continued licking him._

"_Take good care of her. She's yours now. That pokemon is called a Poochyena." Norman explained._

_The little boy looked at his father then to the pokemon in front of him. "Poochy-na? ..Poochy-ena?" _

_Ruby smiled. "I'll call you Nana!"_

_The newly-named Nana barked and nuzzled his new trainer some more._

_It was only at the next day that Ruby and his father started training. Norman had taught the Poochyena 'Hyper Beam' beforehand much to the dismay of his wife. Caroline didn't like the idea of an extremely powerful not to mention dangerous move being taught to a first pokemon of a 4 year-old child._

* * *

Ruby looked at her and smiled. "Don't worry, Nana. I'm not mad."

He stroked his pokemon's silky black fur. "In fact, I'm thankful…" The Mightyena wagged happily and settled down and curled next to the sleeping Delcatty.

_I have to phone Platina and Sapphire tomorrow about the change of plans. Then I'll have to tell Saph about the badges after my battle with dad. After that I have to tell her…. *yawn*  
_

His thoughts were caught off as he drifted to sleep. His dad came up to his room carefully as to not wake up the sleeping boy. Nana and Coco glanced at him before going back to sleep.

Norman covered him up with a blanket and gently stroked his forehead. Ruby twitched a bit but remained asleep. There were feelings of pride in the Gym leader's eyes. "Tomorrow will be a battle between us. A battle between father and son."

* * *

**End of Chapter 9  
**

**A perfect mix of sadness & cuteness, I'd say. How about you guys?  
Little Ruby is so Cute! XD *Hugs!*  
**

**Are the story chapters short? Hmm...  
**

**Thanks for the reviews! I hope to get more.  
Even just the shortest reviews is highly appreciated.**

**About the pokemon battles, it's the details and twists that I'm not sure of.  
About that cliche suggestion. I have a good idea for it. Mwahahah! Tnx. ^^**


	10. Dreams and Reality

**Return to Hoenn  
**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Dreams and Reality**

* * *

Sapphire was taking a walk in Rustboro City when something caught her eye. A familiar figure with long black hair was sitting in a small café. She ran towards to the place to check and sure enough it was the heiress from Sinnoh, Platina.

"Good morning, Sapphire. What brings you here today?" Platina asked as she smiled at her.

The brunette tried to recall the reason she came but she somehow forgot.

"No reason. Ya here for breakfast?" She sat in a vacant seat across the Sinnoh girl.

"Sort of… And by the way, that seat is taken." Platina gestured to the seat that Sapphire was sitting on.

The azure-eyed trainer was confused. _Who could be here with Platina?_ When she stood up, she heard a boy's voice.

"Sorry for the wait, milady." Ruby came over with a tray of tea and berry-filled crepes.

Sapphire couldn't believe it. "Ru-RUBY?! What are you doing here!?"

The crimson-eyed boy just noticed her. He wasn't at all startled at her sudden raise in tone.

"Hey, Sapphire. Wanna join Platina and I?" Ruby smiled as he offered her a seat before taking a vacant chair and setting it beside Platina. Then he sat next to the black-haired girl.

Sapphire sat back down in disbelief. The two were so close to each other. Too close, in her opinion. They kept smiling at each other as if they were the only two people in the café. –As if it didn't matter she was there.

"Sapphire, why don't you have some crepes?" The beauty-obsessed boy offered her a plate but she just sat there frozen.

"Is there anything wrong?" Platina asked as her arm wrapped around Ruby's and her head leaned on his shoulder.

The scene was devastating for the blue-eyed brunette. "..Ruby, do you like Platina?" Tears were welling up in her eyes. She didn't dare to look at him.

Ruby and Platina looked at each other. Then they burst out into laughter. Sapphire looked dumbfounded. _What the heck is happening!?_

A loud beeping sound interrupted their laughter. It was Ruby's poketch. "Ooppss.. I'm late. I gotta go now!" The crimson –eyed trainer drank a bit of tea and ate his crepes in a hurry.

Sapphire stood up and slammed her hands on the table."Where do ya think yer going?!" She was still confused by the sudden turn of events.

"I don't wanna be late for my date." Ruby replied as he took out a mirror and tidied himself up.

_A D-date!? If he's not dating Platina, then who?! _Sapphire's mind was in a world of chaos. "Who the hell are you dating?!" Her tone was extremely angry. She wanted answers and she wanted them badly. Platina behaved as if she was just oblivious to what was happening. She continued drinking tea and eating her crepes.

Just then an unfamiliar voice called out to Ruby. A boy's silhouette waving at him was seen at a distance. Ruby's face grew bright pink as he answered, "I'll be right with you!"

Sapphire froze up like a statue as the boy she fell in love with ran off with the mysterious boy.

In a split second, her mind snapped back. "Ruby! Wait!" She tried to chase after him but ended up tripping into the tables and chairs in the café.

*crash*

* * *

She opened her eyes and found herself at the foot of her bed._ A dream.. It was just a dream._ She sighed in relief before she flopped unto the floor. _What the heck is wrong with me?!_

The sunlight seeped through the window curtains. It was already morning. She could hear the Tailows chirping outside.

The brunette got up and checked the time on the wall. 7:45am. She had slept in. She hurriedly got changed and went down stairs for breakfast.

"Ah, Sapphire. You woke up later than usual." Prof. Birch was already up, dressed in his lab coat. He had just finished setting up breakfast for them. The smell of newly-cooked food made Sapphire's mouth water. There was a hint of berries in the air.

"Hmmm… What's for breakfast?" She asked as she inhaled the delectable aroma.

Prof. Birch smiled and presented her with a plate full of… Crepes!

Sapphire suddenly lost her appetite, having a flashback of the nightmare she just experienced.

"..Ugh. No thank you." _Crepes… why crepes!?_

Her father was confused. His daughter loved berries and she never says no to food. Instead she looked through the fridge and took out a cold veggie sandwich. She shoved it in her mouth and went back upstairs to get the rest of her stuff, leaving Prof. Birch to wonder to what was wrong with the food.

By the time Sapphire finished packing, her pokegear rang. It was Ruby.

"Hey Saph, could you do me favor?"

It was strange for Ruby to call. His house was just next door.

"Sure, what's up?" Sapphire had a bad feeling about it. It was because of that bad dream.

"Can you accompany Platina later with her research? I've got somewhere to be."

The brunette was starting to panic. _Why would he leave me with her, of all people?! What could Ruby be doing that's so important?!_

"Uhm.. Wh-why? Where are ya going?" She asked. Her stress meter was rising.

_I can't tell her I'm gonna battle Dad at Petalburg gym. She'll find out about the badges._ Ruby hesitated before answering. "Let's just say I have a man-to-man bonding time with someone." He meant to say father-son time but that would be suspicious. Ruby and Norman rarely spent time together.

The line was silent.

"Saph?"

No reply.

"Hello? Sapphire you still there?"

Sapphire was petrified. _The dream.. It can't be true! First crepes.. Now this?! The heck does he mean man-to-man bonding time!?_

"Hey Saph, if you're still there, I already called Platina. She'll meet you at a café at 9am… Alright? I gotta go now. I don't wanna be late. I'll call again in the afternoon."

The line went dead.

Prof. Birch was concerned about his daughter and decided to check on her. He went up to her room and found her depressed and gloomy in a corner.

He reluctantly tapped his daughter's shoulder. ""Hey Sapphire, are you alright?"

She turned her head creepily. Her face was like a zombie. It sent shivers down the professor's spine.

"..Yes.. I'm alright.." she replied and turned her head back, facing the dark corner of her room. _It came true.. That dream… It actually came true.._

Quarter to 9am, Platina was waiting at a café conveniently located near her hotel. She was dressed in a dark pink version of her skirt with a light pink scarf and tall boots that were good enough for rough terrain. She also wore a black tank top with a white inside shirt.

People were buzzing here and there in the big city but to her it was quiet. She missed the morning sound that the pokedexes make when she was with Pearl and Diamond. She recalled those mornings where Dia usually sleeps in and Pearl was already filled with energy. When breakfast came Diamond would wake up and devour almost everything. Those times were always filled with happy thoughts.

Then Platina noticed a brown-haired girl getting closer. It was Sapphire. She was wearing a deep blue sleeveless top with matching bandana and black shorts. The Sinnoh trainer waved at her with a pleasant smile. The still gloomy girl sat down and slumped her head on the table.

_I guess Sapphire is not a morning person. Or could it be because Ruby couldn't come?_ Platina thought. _Maybe some sweets will brighten up her mood. _

"Sapphire, would you like something to eat?" The dark-haired girl asked.

"..Anything but crepes." she replied.

It puzzled the other girl._ Does she have something against crepes? Allergies?_

Platina ordered some ice cream sundae made from moomoo milk and topped with an assortment of rare berries. She ate daintily like a lady while Sapphire continued to play around with the spoon. Something was indeed bothering her. Platina didn't know her that well other than the stories Ruby and Wallace told her. If Dia and Pearl were here she would be bursting out in laughter.

"Uhm, Sapphire? If there's a problem, it's alright to share among friends. Didn't I tell you that before?"

The azure-eyed girl stared at her dark colored eyes then turned away her gaze. She couldn't ask her. There was still one part of the dream that didn't happen. That was Platina holding on to Ruby and flirting. She didn't want to say anything more. Platina realized she wasn't going to get answer. She finished the last of her sundae and ordered some pastries to go in case they get hungry while they were out on the field. She took the take-out bag and went back to their table where Sapphire was slowly eating the remains of her half-melted sundae.

"Sapphire, I'll be in your care for today. Please guide me well." The Sinnoh guest smiled at her female friend and the Hoenn trainer swallowed the last of the berries and stood up, forcing herself to smile and nod in acknowledgment.

Platina took out her journal and already planned the day's schedule. She relayed it to her research partner.

"Prof. Rowan specialized in Evolution of Pokemon so the first on our list is observing the evolution of Wurmple to either Cascoon or Silcoon. We need to note down the factors that cause it."

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby was standing outside the gym at Petalburg City. He was wearing black pants with a red and black short sleeve top with his signature white hat with a red band.

His heart was pounding in nervousness. He looked at the pokemon in their pokeballs. He left Popo and Nene back at home and brought Nana and Coco with him. They had a determined look in their faces. It was very encouraging for Ruby.

He took a deep breath and entered the gym. A long line of rooms with trainers awaited to face him and at the end of the rooms he would battle his father. It was a moment he never imagined to come true. Now, here he stands at the border of dreams and reality.

* * *

**End of Chapter 10  
**

**Wow. Chapter 10 already?  
School is just around the corner so my 'ultra fast update' will slow down a bit.  
Plus, I have to write battles. I have to think of strategies and research on pokemon moves.**

**I found this really funny. I'm such a sadist towards Sapphire.**

**Anyway. Hope you like it! Review Pls.  
Any review is fine. I'll consider suggestions. Pls. feel free!**


	11. Battle for the Balance Badge

**Return to Hoenn  
**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Battle for the Balance Badge**

* * *

A sign in the building read Petalburg Gym Leader: Norman. "Man in Pursuit of Power". Ruby used to always think of his father as a tough serious man with a stone face and heart. Battles were his life and passion. He didn't care about anything else. After the Hoenn incident and the events take took place yesterday he came to realize his father greatly cared for him even though at times he doesn't really show it.

The Gym challenger stood in front of two doors. Ruby took out his glasses and inspected the signs. "Strength Room" it read while the other "Defense Room".

"Well, here we go guys." He tapped the side of his belt where his pokeballs were strapped and entered the Strength Room.

A tall male trainer stood in the middle casually tossing a pokeball up and down in the air. "So you're the Gym Leader's son. Ruby, am I right?"

The crimson-eyed trainer nodded with a serious look on his face.

"The name's Randall." The trainer gave a smug grin on his face and tossed the pokeball high up in the air. "This'll be fun."

With a red flash, a Zangoose came out with its claws drawn.

Ruby took out a pokeball and threw it in the air. A bright light came out and a black wolf pokemon landed elegantly on the battlefield.

"Alright! Let's begin.." The Gym trainer was about to command his Zangoose when Ruby stopped the battle to get his hand-held video camera. Randall couldn't believe what he was seeing. _Is he really Norman's son?_

The red-eyed challenger grinned happily as he finished adjusting his camera. His Mightyena looked at him before striking a cool pose. "That's awesome, Nana!"

Randall was starting to get irritated. "Will you take this seriously?"

Ruby looked at him. "I am serious. I usually need more than a video camera but this will have to do. It's part of my collection. Wanna see my portolios?"

The male trainer snapped. "Screw this!" He used an X attack on his Zangoose, increasing its attack power.

The white ferret pokemon charged at his opponent. The Mightyena nimbly dodged the attack by a few inches.

"That X attack was useless. With my Nana's Intimidate ability, your pokemon's stats are back to normal." Ruby pointed out as he filmed Nana's movements.

Randall grew even more irritated. "Zangoose use Sword Dance." His pokemon's attack increased.

"If you really want to increase its Attack - fine. Nana use Swagger!" Ruby commanded his Mightyena.

Nana increased her opponent's Attack even more but made it confused.

The dizzy pokemon kept attacking itself. With its increased attack it dealt more damage.

"Zangoose! Get a hold of yourself!" his trainer shouted.

The Cat Ferret pokemon snapped out of its confusion but it was too late.

"Nana! Use Hyper Beam!"

The Wolf pokemon lauched a powerful beam of light from its mouth, and knocked its opponent cold.

Randall couldn't believe it. His Zangoose never laid a single scratch on his opponent.

Ruby went over to Nana and congratulated her on a job well done. The Mightyena wagged happily at her trainer's praise.

"I got some fabulous footage too!" The crimson-eyed trainer showed his pokemon a replay of the battle. Nana barked in delight as Ruby stroked her silky black fur.

Randall sighed in disappointment of his defeat. _I guess the kid really is the real deal._ "Hey, you still have a couple more rooms to get through."

Ruby looked at him and smiled with a determined look in his eyes.

The trainer shook his hand and wished him luck.

The following rooms were also filled with tough trainers but Ruby overwhelmed them with his cunning strategies and accurate observation. His pokemon executed his orders perfectly with style and grace as if they were performing in a pokemon contest and it was all caught on video, much to Ruby's delight.

Now, he stands in front of the final room where Norman awaited. His pokemon were fully healed and raring to go. "This is it…" He took a deep breath and opened the door.

The Gym Leader stood there with his arms crossed in front of him. His expression was serious and unyielding. He didn't have a look of a father but a look of a man ready to beat his opponent without a second thought.

"It has finally come to this…" Norman said with an emotionless tone.

Ruby nodded and let Ruru out. He handed the Gardevoir the camera so that he can give all his concentration to this battle. Norman disapproved. He didn't like unnecessary things during their battle but his son told him that mom wanted to see their battle as father and son as well as keep a record as a memento for both of them. The Gym leader had no choice but to give in. Ruru positioned herself at the sidelines next to the referee, ready to film the momentous battle.

"Each side will use 3 pokemon. The last pokemon standing will determine the winner. Only the challenger is able switch pokemon." The referee explained the rules as the two readied themselves for their showdown.

Norman sent out his first pokemon, a Linoone while Ruby chose Mimi, his Milotic.

The large serpent-like pokemon towered over the small badger pokemon but what the Linoone couldn't make up for in size, it made up for in speed. Its agile body maneuvered around the Milotic, landing slash after slash. Mimi protected herself with Aqua Ring then countered with Ice beam, knocking its opponent back a few meters. The Linoone was frozen where it stood.

"Mimi, now Aqua tail!" Ruby commanded as his Milotic's tail was enveloped by spiraling streams of water and lashed out at the unmoving target. Seeing the impending attack, the badger pokemon broke free at the last minute and dodged it.

"Linoone! Use Façade." Norman shouted.

"Mimi, Iron Tail!" Ruby ordered.

The Milotic's tail grew bright while the Linoone was surrounded by an orange aura. The two pokemon clashed in blinding flash of light.

Ruby analyzed the situation. _Facade is the signature move of Dad's pokemon. It boosts attack if the pokemon is suffering, in contrast to Mimi's Marvel Scale ability which boosts defense. The only result could be…_

Seconds passed, the battlefield became visible. The two pokemon lay unconscious on the ground. It was a draw.

Ruby rushed over to his pokemon who opened her eyes weakly. He stroked the side of her head gently. "You did well, Mimi. Time to rest…" He returned his Milotic back to its pokeball.

Norman also sent his unconscious pokemon back into its pokeball. "That was a good start. But it's not over yet…" His eyes still cold and emotionless as before. Ruby stared back at him, refusing to lose.

"Let the Second Round Commence!" Announced by the referee.

"Let's do this… Zaffiro!" Ruby sent out his uniquely colored Gallade and it immediately took a fighting stance with its arms poised and ready for battle.

Ruru smiled sheepishly as she held the video camera tightly as to get a good glimpse of his beloved. Zaffiro glanced at her direction and smiled back.

"So this is one of the new pokemon you were talking about..." His father said before he sent out his second pokemon, Vigoroth.

"You'll be surprised what he can do…" Ruby's eyes grew more eager and determined.

Zaffiro charged at his opponent at tremendous speed. Vigoroth reacted quickly and jumped out of the way. The white sloth pokemon lunged at his opponent's back but Zaffiro saw it and extended its elbows, striking the Vigoroth with Psycho Cut. Norman's pokemon was pushed back but it stood its ground, ready to continue.

A small smile formed on the Gym Leader's face. "It's strong.."

Ruby smiled back. Both sides were enjoying the battle.

"Give him all you got Zaffiro!" His trainer shouted.

The Gallade's arms shone brightly as they extended into sharp blades. His right arm was in a bright shade of green. The other was dark in color. A combination of Leaf Blade and Night Slash.

Zaffiro rushed towards the sloth pokemon with its arms ready to attack. Vigoroth Countered its relentless attacks. It speed managed to keep up with the blade wielding pokemon. The Gallade showed an elegant display of sword fighting skills. It was like the embodiment of Ruby's ideals, both Beauty and Power.

Then both pokemon jumped back to their respective sides to catch their breath. Ruru looked at Zaffiro with concern.

"Zaffiro, time to change tactics!" Ruby gave a cunning smile. The Gallade nodded and withdrew its swords. He took on a different fighting stance and charged again at his opponent.

"It's Futile.." Norman commanded his Vigoroth to continue its Counter attack.

Both pokemons exchanged blows at equal speed, none wanting to give in to the other.

They broke off from each other. Both sides were tired. Each had barely enough energy to stand.

"I guess it's a draw again…" The gym leader declared.

"Not quite." Ruby argued.

In a split second, Norman's Vigoroth fainted. It surprised the Gym leader.

"The winner for the second round is the Challenger Ruby!" The referee announced. The sight of Zaffiro winning made Ruru smiled gleefully.

"Gallade doesn't only know sword type attacks but also fighting types." The crimson-eyed boy explained.

Then it struck him. "Drain Punch." Norman laughed a bit. He was outsmarted this time around.

Ruby nodded. He returned his pokemon back to its pokeball to rest. "That was great, Zaffiro. I'm sure Ruru's so happy that you won." The Gallade gave a last glance to the Gardevoir standing at the sidelines before his trainer strapped the sphere back to his belt.

_Zaffiro is in no condition to fight especially the next one is Dad's signature pokemon, Slaking. I have to beat him now._ The Gym Challenger pulled out another pokeball, the one containing his Swampert. "I'm counting on you, Zuzu." The giant mudfish pokemon nodded.

"Looks like we'll be continuing the battle from the Weather Institute." Ruby pointed out.

"I guess you're right." Norman replied as he grasped his last pokemon in his hand.

The two eyed each other fiercely. This was the deciding battle. The battle for the Balance Badge.

* * *

**End of Chapter 11**

**Did I do the battle right? I had a lot of researching to done.I'm still not sure. Feel free to comment on it.  
**

**I'm planning of changing the Main title to "Return to Hoenn"  
Any other suggestions? Cause I feel I'm deviating from my 1st outlook of the whole thing when I first named it.  
I think the new one's catchy. Pls. Comment so I can change..  
**

**Typos.. I hate typos!**

**Review please!. Classes start tomorrow so I'll slow down.  
I know I'm still fast...  
Next chapter Zuzu vs Slaking.. **


	12. Answer

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Answer**

* * *

Somewhere in Petalburg forest, the two girls were studying Wurmples as well as other pokemon that lived in that area. The Sinnoh trainer carefully observed the worm pokemon evolving at a good distance behind some bushes while the azure-eyed girl sat in a tree, staring into space.

_I can't believe it. It's impossible, right? Ruby, can't be… Can he? _Sapphire train of thoughts kept circling around that subject. She stared blankly at the light coming from the small gaps of the tree tops.

"I'm almost done here. Do you know another place where there are more pokemon?" The Platina asked. She smiled in satisfaction of the process of her study.

There was no response. The girl who was sitting in the treetops appeared disconnected from everything.

"Sapphire?" Platina stared at her research partner with growing concern. She sent out her Pachirisu to climb the tree to check on her.

_He said he likes me before. Platina said there was a girl he always thought of… So he can't be a.. _The nature-loving girl suddenly felt a small fluffy creature scurrying behind her. She jolted in surprise and almost fell down the tree but she managed to grab on to the branch and pulled herself up.

"The heck was that?!" She scanned all around and noticed a white squirrel pokemon with a blue stripe, standing on the spot where she sat.

"Huh? A new pokemon?" Sapphire opened up her pokedex and learned it was a Pachirisu and that they come from the Sinnoh region.

"So you must be Platina's pokemon." The Hoenn girl watched as the little white squirrel ran around in circles around her then climbed on to her shoulder with a gleeful smile._ That's pretty cute._

Sapphire glanced below her and saw Platina waving her hand. _I guess she must be done and she sent her pokemon to see how I was. _She managed to put a smile on her face – not a forced or fake smile but a genuine smile of appreciation. She agilely descended from the tree with the squirrel pokemon clinging on her shoulder.

"How was the view from up there?" The dark-haired heiress asked. Her Pachirisu jumped down from the brunette's shoulder and came over to her side. She petted it for a job well done.

"Pretty refreshing." Sapphire replied. "How was the research going? Sorry if I wasn't any help." It finally struck her. She wasn't helping her out at all like Ruby asked her to.

"That's alright" Platina smiled. "You had a lot on your mind ever since you came to the café."

Sapphire's expression saddened. _It was that obvious?..._

"If you're ready, I'm always willing to listen to your problems." She gave a reassuring smile. "A friend of Ruby's is a friend of mine."

The blue-eyed trainer became hesitant in telling her anything._ I don't know what to do. Should I tell her? Should I ask if she thinks Ruby could be..? Does she like Ruby?_ More and more questions came pouring out of her mind. _I guess there's only one way to find out._

"How about we get out of here first and head over to Petalburg City?" Sapphire suggested.

Platina agreed. She returned her Pachirisu to its pokeball and they left.

* * *

Back at the Gym, Zuzu and Norman's Slaking were having a test of strength and endurance. The two burly pokemon displayed massive amounts of brute force and unyielding determination. Even with its Truant ability, it proved to be one difficult opponent. Slaking managed to withstand the Swampert's Muddy water without moving an inch while Zuzu stood up again after receiving a huge damage from the enemy's Retaliate. He evened up the game when Ruby ordered him to use Endeavor. Then they both unleashed Earthquake, making the battlefield a wreck.

Norman and Ruby managed to keep their footing while Ruru and the referee managed to stay stable with the Gardevoir's Psychic powers.

After the dust cleared up Zuzu and Slaking were out of breath and panting heavily. This was it. Both pokemon were on their last legs.

"Slaking, Hyper Beam!" The Gym leader Shouted.

"Zuzu, use Hydro pump!"

The giant ape-pokemon released a devastating beam while Zuzu unleashed tremendous amounts of water. The two attacks clashed. Each side was giving their all, neither giving an inch. It was yet another even match until…

"Alight, Zuzu, let's kick it up a notch! Hydro Cannon!" Ruby commanded with an unwavering desire to win.

The Swampert's attack immensely increased in power. Slaking's Hyper Beam was pushed back as well as the ape-pokemon itself, knocking it to the wall and making it unconscious.

Everything was silent. Norman stood there unmoving. The gym trainers who decided to take a peek at their battle couldn't believe what they saw, even the referee.

It took a moment for Ruby for the event to sink in.

"…I.. won."

The referee snapped out of his daze and declared, "The winner Gym Battle is none other than the Gym challenger, Ruby!" The onlookers cheered loudly. Ruru was tearing up with pride for her trainer.

"I won…" His face suddenly lit up in indescribable joy. He sent out all his pokemon to relish in the victory. Ruru came towards them and embraced Zaffiro. The Gallade returned the embrace. All of Ruby's pokemon were thrilled.

Zuzu turned around as his trainer hugged him from behind. "We did it Zuzu!" Ruby had tears in his eyes. It was unlike the previous gym battles. This had a deeper meaning to it. The giant mudfish pokemon was overjoyed.

Norman returned his Slaking to its pokeball and came over to his son. They both looked at each other. Then he glared at the gym trainers staring at them. The onlookers quickly retreated back to their respective rooms. Even the referee knew when he wasn't needed.

Ruby came down from his pokemon's back and approached his father. "Dad."

"Here. You earned this." Norman extended his hand and gave Ruby the Balance Badge.

The crimson-eyed boy stared at the small metallic object. "Dad, I—"

Before he could say anything his dad embraced him. It caught the boy by surprise. He was speechless as well as his father. He returned his embrace and buried his face unto his dad's shoulder.

Ruru secretly continued filming the moment. The other pokemon moved back quietly to give them some space.

"As a Gym Leader, I can't express how upset I am…. But as a father… I cannot measure my pride… to have you… as my son." Norman's embrace tightened as well as Ruby's upon hearing those words coming from him.

All those years his father was away left a huge emptiness inside Ruby. It was at this moment, he felt as if that the hole in his heart never existed. They became closer as a real family after all that time.

Afterwards, Ruby tended to his pokemon. He was upset how dirty they were. The prissy trainer wanted to clean them so badly but he first needed to take them to the pokemon center.

Norman watched him. _I guess some things won't change…_

Ruru handed the camera over to his trainer. Ruby put away the camera for the meantime.

"Thanks a lot, Ruru! So did you get a really good footage of Zaffiro?" The red-eyed trainer teased his pokemon. The Gardevoir blushed sheepishly but kept in mind the last part of the video about Norman and Ruby.

Ruby returned all his pokemon back into their pokeballs before heading out. His father went with him. He also needed to take his pokemon to the pokemon center after the beating they got.

Nurse Joy happily took all the pokemon and tended to them along with her team of Blisseys and Chanseys.

"I'll go get us something to eat while we wait. I'm sure the battle has made you hungry." Norman suggested as he got up from the bench in the waiting room.

"Wait Dad! I'll go.." Ruby rushed to the door ahead of his father.

"Fine then, I'll wait here." Norman went back to his seat and waited.

The crimson-eyed trainer went out and took the time to stretch out his arms and relieve the stress. He took out the Balance Badge and stared at it with a smile on his face. _I'll remember this day always._ He held it close to his heart before putting in in the metal case along with his other gym badges. Then he went over to the mart and bought two sandwiches, fresh water and lemonade.

As he was getting his order, the door of the mart swung open and two young girls entered. The sight of the boy wearing a white hat quickly caught the attention of a blue-eyed girl.

"Ruby? Is that you?" Sapphire stood there in disbelief. Platina was also caught off guard.

Ruby turned around couldn't believe it either. "Sapphire? Platina? why are you guys here?"

Sapphire noticed he bought two sandwiches and two kinds of drinks, meaning food for two people. The barrage of unanswered questions came flooding back. _Is he really on a date? A date with another guy?_ She felt she was sweating.

"Hello Ruby." Platina regained her composure and asked. "Who are you giving it to?"

The boy felt hesitant to tell. He couldn't say it was for his dad who was waiting at the pokemon center with his pokemon after they battled each other.

"Why won't ya answer?!" Sapphire's tone suddenly louden with her increased nervousness and anticipation.

The other shoppers stared at them.

"I..uhm.." Words wouldn't come out of his mouth. He didn't know how to answer. He didn't know what to answer.

* * *

**End of Chapter 12  
**

**I changed the title. Its shorter, simpler and more general to the idea of the story.  
(Since the story had Major Norman parts.. I love it!)  
So what do think of it?  
**

**I didn't know how to end this particular chapter but I wanted a bit of a cliffhanger.**

**Thanks again for the reviews and suggestions. **

**Review please! How's the story?**

**I already brainstormed the sequel. 2 kinds too..  
But I need to choose one and finish this one first. hehehe...**


	13. Make Amends

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Make Amends**

* * *

There weren't much people in the pokemon center that day. They just came in and out. The nurses along with their Chanseys and Blisseys went around carrying pokeballs and medical equipment. Norman sat patiently in the waiting room with his usual stern expression and arms crossed. Some young trainers recognized him and started murmuring amongst themselves.

"Isn't that the Gym Leader, Norman?" a young boy a few years younger than Ruby asked his friend.

The trainer beside him smiled excitedly. "I think he is.."

The two seemed to greatly admire the Petalburg gym leader. Norman acted oblivious to their constant staring. He was already used to it. He knew he was a pretty popular figure in the City ever since he first became the gym leader here. Though before, in his son's eyes, Ruby resented the fact he became a gym leader because it was for that very reason he left his family.

Norman recalled the time he came back after searching for Rayquaza.

* * *

_He finally achieved his dream and became a gym leader. He came back to Johto one day to tell his family the good news._

_Caroline and Ruby were still living in Goldenrod City. Norman had just arrived on his Flygon after receiving the letter officially making him a Gym Leader._

"_I'm home." Norman said as he entered through door._

_Caroline came running with open arms. She embraced him tightly. Tears were flowing from her eyes. She missed her husband over the past 5 years. "Welcome home, dear."_

_The newly officiated Gym leader showed his wife his certificate and told her that he became the Gym Leader of a Petalburg City in Hoenn. The scarlet-eyed woman was overjoyed. "You finally fulfilled your dream."_

"_I know." He observed the house. He was expecting his son to come running to greet him but there was no one._

_He finally asked. "Where's Ruby?"_

_Caroline's joy subsided. "Ruby is..uhm.." She didn't know how to tell her husband about their son._

_Suddenly the door opened. _

"_Mom, I'm home!" The crimson-eyed boy came in with his three pokemon, Nana, Coco, and Ruru following behind him. All three were wearing a new ribbon and knitted outfits._

"_You wouldn't believe the amount of votes I got for my pokemon's appeal…" Ruby was cut off when he noticed a black-haired man standing beside his mom. His expression changed. He entered the house with a huge smile of satisfaction but now his face was filled with resentment. His pokemon stayed behind him with looks of worry._

"_What are you doing here?" He glared at the man with his hands forming into fists._

_Norman looked into his son's eyes. They were filled rage. He expected Ruby to hate him because he left but for a father it was still a heartbreaking sight to see that hatred._

"_Ruby, Dad's home.." Caroline forced a smile to try to lighten up the mood that was slowly crumbly into the dark._

_The young trainer lowered his head and ignored them as he went towards his room._

"_Hey, wait a minute!" Norman grabbed his shoulder but the boy just jerked his hand off._

"_Leave me alone!" he shouted._

"_Ruby.." His mom tried to calm him down as she held on his arm._

_The red-eyed boy took a deep breath and settled down but the anger inside him didn't disappear. His eyes were still intense._

"_Ruby, I still have time later in the afternoon. How about we go and have battle training like we used to?" Norman suggested, maintaining his composure. He didn't like the way his son was acting towards him but he knew that using force would end up badly. He wanted to amend their ties as a family even if it will take small steps at a time._

_The boy avoided eye contact. "I hate battles." He said plainly._

_It surprised the Gym leader. He couldn't believe what he heard. The little boy he left that day was always eager to battle but now the Ruby that stood in front of him was a whole different person._

"_I'm going to my room." He brushed off his mother's hand from his arm and ran to his room along with Nana, Coco and Ruru. The two adults listened as they heard the door slam followed by a clicking noise indicating he'd locked it._

_Norman blamed himself. Even if was for Ruby's sake that he left. He wasn't there for him in those times he needed a father._

* * *

"Norman?" female voiced jolted the Gym Leader back into reality. Norman came to the counter and Nurse Joy handed him back his pokemon as well as his son's. He took the pokeballs and thanked Nurse Joy.

"My pleasure. Come by any time." Nurse Joy smiled sweetly.

Now looking back at it, Norman was happy that he and his son finally got along. He sat back down and waited. _What's taking him?_

* * *

Meanwhile, at the mart, Sapphire was interrogating Ruby. The brunette had him cornered near the counter.

"C'mon! watcha hiding?!" The blue-eyed girl's eyes flared up.

"Saph, calm down. You always seem to be angry at me for some reason." The red-eyed boy tried to quell her anger but it proved no use.

"Just answer the freakin' question! Who are ya with?!" Sapphire was not gonna let him go.

Ruby was about to say something but the pokemart manager asked them to leave. They were disturbing the other shoppers. The Hoenn duo was embarrassed. Platina apologized on their behalf and the three went out of the mart.

"How about we discuss this over at some restaurant or a cafe?" Ruby suggested.

Platina and Sapphire noticed he didn't have any pokeballs on his belt.

"Ruby, what happened to your pokemon? Did you get into a fight somewhere?" Platina asked.

"Prissy boy in a fight? That's not possible. He doesn't like getting into things that could get his pokemon dirty." The wild girl pointed out in a sarcastic tone.

Platina was puzzled. "Really? But Ruby—"

The crimson-eyed boy interrupted her just in time. "I'll explain everything later! So let's go already."

Sapphire wondered what Platina was going to say but she prioritized in knowing who Ruby was with. "Ruby, what about the snacks?" she asked.

The Gym leader's son suddenly remembered his father was waiting for him. "I'll just drop this off at the pokemon center and I'll see you at the restaurant."

"Then why don't we just have our little chat at the pokemon center instead?" Sapphire suggested with a threatening smile. Her fangs were showing and her eyes looked deep into Ruby's. The beauty-obsessed boy had no way out.

The three went the pokemon center with the fanged brown-haired trainer leading the way, dragging Ruby with her.

"Alright! Where is he?" Sapphire asked Ruby as she pushed him inside the building. The boy stumbled a bit but regained his footing.

"Where is who, May I ask?.."

A tall raven-haired man with a cold expression stood in front of Ruby. It was the Gym Leader of Petalburg City, Norman. Sapphire didn't expect him to be there at all.

"Dad…"

"Good day Mr. Norman," greeted the dark-haired girl.

Norman already heard from Caroline about Ruby's friend from Sinnoh who came with him. He merely nodded in acknowledgment. He glanced at his son who looked nervous for some reason. . "So who is this person Birch's daughter is referring to, Ruby?"

"Mr. Norman, sir… Ruby said he had to meet up with some guy and he wouldn't tell us who." Sapphire explained. She didn't know how to explain to Norman that his son, Ruby could be dating a guy.

" I see.." Norman looked back at his son and asked, "You didn't tell her about our Gym battle?"

"W-wait! Gym Battle?!" Sapphire gaped at unexpected realization.

"Yeah. I was going to tell you later this afternoon but.." Ruby averted eye contact. He couldn't face her after keeping such a secret from her. _I knew I should have told her sooner._

"So yer not dating a guy?" The blue-eyed brunette suddenly blabbed out her conclusion.

The three stared at her. They were all shocked even Norman.

Sapphire was frozen stiff. _The hell did I just say!?_

"You thought I was.. what?!" Ruby's face was red. He was both humiliated and mad. "How in Arceus' name did you come up with that!?"

It was a start of a frantic argument between the two trainers. Norman and Platina merely watched as they were still recovering from Sapphire's words.

"It's yer fault for keeping things from me. Ya said ya had man-to-man bonding time. How was I supposed to understand what ya really meant!?"

"But seriously. Me? Dating a guy? Is that what you think me?"

"Well, Prissy boy if ya'd start acting more like a real boy then I wouldn't have thought of ya that way."

"For your information, I am a boy and I have no interest in dating other boys especially when I like-"

Ruby stopped. He realized he was about to say something he didn't want to say yet especially in a very public place and in front of his Dad and Platina. His reddish face slightly became pinkish.

Sapphire's face also flushed bright pink. _What? What was he gonna say? 'I like.. what?'_

*ahem* "That's enough you two. You should learn to behave yourselves in places like this." Norman said with a stern face. He wasn't at all affected by their sudden blushing. _Kids, these days…_

Ruby and Sapphire saw many people looking at them, murmuring and whispering. The keen hearing of the wild girl picked up a few details of the chatter.

"That's so sweet."

"…Young love"

It made her even more flustered. "I-I'm sorry for bothering everyone!" She bowed her head deeply to apologize for their behavior. Ruby also bowed down and apologized.

"How about we take this to the gym? I have a private place we could use." Norman suggested. "And by the way Ruby, here are your pokemon." He handed over a box full of pokeballs over to his son.

The crimson-eyed trainer strapped his pokeballs back unto his belt as they left the pokemon center.

"I brought us sandwiches and some drinks." Ruby opened up the items he'd bought at the mart.

Norman looked at the contents. It was only good for two people. "I'll go buy some more. You just tell one of the trainers there to let you in. I'll catch up to you."

And with that, the Petalburg Gym leader left. They didn't have a choice. The three of them got sent out of the pokemart a little while ago. Now they got sent out of the pokemon center.

The trio went to the Gym. Randall recognized Ruby right away and led him and his two companions to a greenhouse located at the back of the gym. The cool trainer flirted a bit with the two girls but Ruby's glare reminded him so much of Norman that he stopped instinctively. He knew how scary their Gym Leader was when he's angry. He predicted his son to be just as scary. He left after he escorted them to a clearing inside the greenhouse.

The three trainers looked around in the dome-shaped structure. Ruby never knew about the greenhouse before. His father never mentioned it. Sapphire didn't know about it either. The place was filled with trees, shrubs and pokemon.

Platina found some Slakoth, Vigoroth and Slaking in the area and decided to observe them and take notes. She notified the two before she began her research. _At least now, they can have a good long chat with each other._

Sapphire and Ruby were alone again like yesterday in Sootopolis. They sat below a tree. The nature-loving girl stretched out her arms and leaned against the trunk of the tree while the red-eyed trainer took the time to groom his pokemon starting with Zuzu. The atmosphere was serene and calming. A perfect time to clear up misunderstandings and make amends.

* * *

**End of Chapter 13  
**

**Pls. Review! ^_^  
I LOVE reading reviews no matter how short.  
Reviews really inspire me to write more.  
**

**I'm open to suggestions. If there are stuff you wanna add, I'll consider it while adding my own twists.**


	14. Matter of Moments

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Matter of Moments**

* * *

Ruby took the first initiative to speak. He realized this all started because he didn't tell Sapphire right away about the Gym battle."Saph, sorry I didn't tell you about my gym battle today."

Sapphire looked at him. "You don't need ta say yer sorry. It was something between father and son." She was thinking straight again. "I'm happy that both of ya are really getting along." She grinned with a small fang showing.

The crimson-eyed boy smiled but for more than one reason. He was glad that he got to closer to his father. The other reason was that toothy grin of hers. It was too cute. He tried very hard not to blush.

"So did ya win?" Sapphire moved closer, wanting to see the badge his dad gave him.

"Of course." Ruby had a proud expression as he handed her a small metallic case and he brunette excitedly took it from him.

In a split second, the red-eyed trainer remembered that it wasn't only the Balance Badge in that case. He wanted to snatch it back but it was too late. She opened it.

The girl's deep blue eyes widened. She was silent for a moment as she closed the case. "Ruby…"

He suddenly went pale. "Y-yes?"

"…Why are there 5 badges here?" The brunette was emitting a dark aura around her.

"S-Saph.. L-let me explain.." Ruby shuddered. He felt he was sweating excessively.

Sapphire's eyes were gleamed like a predator eyeing its prey.

Few minutes later, Norman went in the greenhouse. He was carrying a bag full of bread, a bottle of lemonade and a can of soda. All of a sudden, he heard some noises and decided to investigate. He glanced behind a tree and saw two familiar figures. He paused for a second and left. It was not his place to intervene.

"Ruby! Ya jerk!" Sapphire had gone berserk. She tried to strangle the already fear-stricken boy. "Are ya trying ta challenge me?! Five Badges!? Contest ribbons, ain't enough for ya or somethin'?!"

Ruby was already lying on the ground, desperately trying to get away from the Sapphire's grasp.

"Zuzu, help me!" The Swampert trainer frantically tried to call for his pokemon but the wild brunette glared menacingly at the giant mudfish and Zuzu just stood there petrified and watching helplessly.

"I'm sorry! Saph, just let me explain!"

Finally, Sapphire released him. She released most of her anger but she still had that scary look on her face. She was growly softly with fangs bared. Any wrong move could cost Ruby's life. At least, that's how he looked at it.

Zuzu came over to his trainer's side to check on him. Ruby sat up and patted him before he began to explain the other reason he went to Sinnoh. It was to find out what he truly wanted to do. He told her the same things he told his father. Sapphire listened intently. Her anger was diminishing as she began to understand the red-eyed boy's behavior.

"So there you have it. I'm sorry I kept things from you." Ruby observed Sapphire's potential move. He was guessing in his mind what she might do to him next. "

"..I'm sorry too."

"…What?" The crimson-eyed boy did not expect that response.

"I said I'm sorry!" The blue-eyed girl shouted which made Ruby flinch. Then she took a deep breath and calmed herself. "I always get mad at ya. I jump ta conclusions easily without asking for yer side first."

Ruby saw a whole new side of her; a calm and gentle side. He'd seen her sincere grin, her bashful smile, her cute pout, her lively laughter, her determined face but most of the time her angry glare. He couldn't very well describe the feeling seeing something new about her but it was a good feeling and he welcomed it.

Sapphire saw him staring at her. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Ruby smiled. "Not really.."

All of a sudden the Sapphire's stomach grumbled. She was hungry and so was Ruby. Norman and Platina were waiting for a good time to enter and decided that was good enough.

The four enjoyed a small picnic in the Petalburg greenhouse. The three teens were full of smiles. It was a rare sight for the stern Gym leader to be eating with a group of young trainers especially when one of them is his son. He didn't mind at all because he was in a good mood, not that he was showing it.

Zuzu took a nap beside his trainer after he fed him a few poffins. Ruby used his Swampert as a pillow and leaned on its side as he ate the food his father bought.

Platina noticed Sapphire was no longer dazed or sad. She was happy again and the dark-haired girl hoped that she'd keep smiling the rest of her stay in Hoenn. _Ruby was right. She really has a warm and sincere smile._

"So it seems you two finally settled the misunderstanding." The Berlitz heiress pointed out.

The Hoenn pair looked at each other and then they averted eye contact.

"Yeah. You could say that." Ruby was recalling their conversation where he was almost strangled to death followed by the sight of the brunette's gentle side. He blushed a bit at the last part of the recall but hid it from everyone.

After they finished, it was now late in the afternoon. The Gym Leader escorted the teens out of the gym. He needed to stay and finish up a few things.

"I'll see you at home." Norman looked at his son and placed a hand on his head.

Ruby nodded and gently smiled at him. He felt touched; he didn't expect his father to display some affection openly. Even with his hat on, his father's hand felt warm.

Platina and Sapphire smiled at the pleasant scene of father and son.

They bid goodbye and left. It was time to escort the Sinnoh guest back to the Hotel in Rustboro. Platina took out her Rapidash and mounted on its back. The clear orange sky complimented the flaming horse pokemon's red fiery mane. Sapphire sent out Dono, her Donphan and hopped on to his back.

Ruby stared at the sight. He covered his mouth to prevent himself from laughing. Platina looked like a princess riding on a horse while Sapphire, he imagined her wearing her jungle girl outfit and riding on an elephant-like pokemon.

"What ya lookin at?" the blue-eyed brunette saw him and his sudden reaction.

He couldn't hold it. He burst out in laughter.

Sapphire glanced at Platina then at herself and figured out what he was laughing about. A vein popped out of her head. "Screw ya!" She fumed with anger.

Ruby stopped laughing and feared the worse. _I guess I shouldn't have laughed._

"Dono!" Sapphire shouted. On cue, the Donphan glared at the crimson-eyed boy and started charging directly towards him.

The panic-stricken boy turned on his running shoes and fled for his life. The two went through Petalburg forest on the way Rustboro City. The dark-haired girl chased after them. She found their antics very entertaining. It was times like this that made life more spontaneous.

The whole time, Ruby frantically dodged Dono's attacks. He leaped over plants and other vegetation. He didn't care about the leaves and dirt getting stuck on him. His life was more valuable. Sapphire's Donphan broke through the obstacles that stood in its path such as the rocks and shrubs. They evaded the trees which gave their target some time to distance himself from them. Still there were a lot of close calls for the boy. Platina's Rapidash leaped across the remains of the elephant pokemon's path of destruction.

By the time they reached Rustboro, Ruby collapsed on the ground, tired and waving his arms to surrender. He was completely filthy. There were mud stains all over his clothes as well as leaves and twigs.

Sapphire forgave him, seeing the pitiful state he was in. She calmed her Donphan and returned it to its pokeball. "Ya finally learned yer lesson." She stated proudly.

_Ugh... I reek. I'm going to need a long bath to get rid of this stench. _"I'll get you for this..." Ruby muttered.

The azure-eyed brunette heard a bit and looked at him threateningly. "..What was that?" She grasped Dono's ball tightly in her hand.

The dirt-covered prissy boy flinched. He didn't want to go another round of dodge ball; him being the target and the ball being a rock-hard armored Donphan. "N-nothing.."

Platina arrived and dismounted her Rapidash. She returned it back to its pokeball and strapped it back on to her belt.

Ruby brushed off some of the dirt and leaves off his clothes before the Hoenn duo accompanied the Sinnoh guest to her Hotel. The crimson-eyed boy was embarrassed at his state. He didn't want to go near a fancy looking hotel so he and Sapphire bid Platina mid-way.

To save the boy from further humiliation, the blue-eyed trainer whistled for her Tropius. Pilo flew out from the tall trees and descended to their side. The two trainers mounted on the green dino and it took off, heading back to Littleroot.

Sapphire saw the sun had disappeared in the horizon. The deep blue-violet hue was slowly enveloping the fiery orange sky. _It was like this yesterday_, she thought. "Hey Ruby, isn't the scenery beau—"

She turned to see the young male sleeping soundly. He laid on Pilo's back with his arms as his pillow. He was really tired from all that running and battling. Sapphire smiled cunningly and poked his cheek. It made the boy snuggle deeper into his arm.

"How cute_…_" She whispered with a small giggle and left the boy alone to enjoy his nap.

Ruby was actually half asleep. As Sapphire directed her gaze back to the scenery in front, the boy opened an eye and smiled with a slight blushing. Then he went back to sleep.

He woke up again when they arrived in front of his house. Ruby yawned as he stretched out his arms before saying goodbye to Sapphire. He gave Pilo a green poffin as gratitude for the ride home. He entered the house hurried into the tub to scrub all the dirt and stench from his body.

Sapphire thanked Pilo and returned him to the forest. She went inside her own house and flopped on the living room couch. She kept remembering Ruby's sleeping face and how cute he was. _It feels so great to have Ruby around. It was really quiet without him here._

That whole year he spent in Sinnoh, Sapphire kept wishing to see him. She really missed him and these past two days brought back such beautiful memories of their time together. As rivals, as comrades, as friends - as best friends… As… maybe something much more. In a short span of time, that boy filled so much light back into her life. Her thoughts lingered about the boy she loved as she dozed off.

Next door, Ruby had just finished taking a bath. He changed into some fresh clean clothes and went down stairs. He was in his pajamas and he wasn't wearing his white hat anymore.

Caroline was watching the video that her son took earlier with utmost concentration and attention. The video played back the Gym battle that her son and her husband had. She wasn't going to miss a single second of it.

Ruby wanted to watch but he heard the door open. He turned his attention towards the tall black-haired man entering the house.

"Welcome home, Dad." The crimson eyed boy came over to greet his father.

Norman recalled the first time he went home in years, back then his son resented him. Now here is Ruby coming over to welcome him with a smile. His expression softened as he stroked his boy's head. He ruffled his raven-colored hair but Ruby didn't mind.

The moment was interrupted when Caroline squealed. The two males rushed over to see what was up. Ruby's mom was getting really emotional. They stared at the screen and fell into shock. The video was playing their touching father-son scene.

"Ruru, you didn't…" Ruby muttered to himself.

The Gardevoir was in her pokeball, upstairs in the boy's room. Having sensed their reaction, she giggled at her deed. The rest of Ruby's pokemon smiled. It seems Nana was not the only cunning pokemon in the group, Ruru as well.

That night, Caroline prepared a feast. She was so blissful that she made too much. Ruby and Norman just stared at the table full of food. They had no choice. While they ate, Caroline kept watching that part of the video over and over.

An hour later, Ruby was so full he just collapsed on his bed. _These days, I've been coming home tired for some reason._ He was deep in thought as he drifted off into sleep. All that time being apart and distant from the people he loved, the loneliness and solitude healed in a matter of moments.

* * *

**End of Chapter 14  
**

**I was so surprise this morning when I saw 20 reviews instead of 17.I was so happy! Thank you for all the reviews. If I could give you all some of the Fried Oreos I made, I would.  
**

**I got inspired by a really good idea. So I decided to make a *Special Edition Chapter* (It can fit in like a Chapter 15...)  
I told myself when I get 25 Reviews I'll post it but just 20 reviews made me so ecstatic that I'll finish the chapter, 25 reviews or not. XD**

**Pls. Review again! Thank you everyone for reading my first fanfic...**

**Ame- Thanks for checking my typos, I can be really blind sometimes... The part about Nana is correct. It referred to Nana's deed in Chapter 8.  
When she stole the metallic case to help Ruby.**


	15. Special Edition

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 15  
**

* * *

***SPECIAL EDITION***

* * *

"Hey Dia—I mean Diamond."

"Yeah, Pearl?"

"Could you remind me again?"

"Remind you what?"

"Remind me… How THE HECK did Missy and Prissy drag us into THIS mess?!"

The comedy duo was running for their lives while being chased by a huge flock of brownish-gray bird pokemon. All of which looked extremely pissed.

* * *

_Several hours ago…_

It was nighttime. The two got a call from Platina and Ruby saying that they needed them to go to someplace. They used the latest version of the pokegear allowing them to see the caller through a small monitor. The Berlitz heiress was in her hotel room listing down some items to be ordered in the computer while the crimson-eyed boy was busy planning some sort of outfit.

"I don't get it .Why you didn't do it here in Sinnoh in the first place?" Pearl asked. "I mean you were here for a year."

"It's because… With the way things are going now, I wanted to do something special. It's that time of the month." Ruby answered as he carefully sketched some rough drafts.

"C'mon Pearl, you still owe Ruby for helping out with your Luxray's claws." Diamond pointed out as he sat beside his best friend with a plate full of honey glazed bread.

"I already sent out the request for the items that you may need. They'll arrive there shortly." Platina said. "And Ruby, I also placed the order for your materials and ingredients."

"Thanks Platina, I can't thank you guys enough. This is really important to me." The red-eyed boy paused for a moment. He felt he was blessed to have friends such as them.

Pearl gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine. We'll do it."

* * *

Early the next morning, the manzai partners arrived at their destination with Platina's package which contained Ultra balls and a Portable Transporter. Ruby had Coco, his Delcatty transported there to help with their mission in his place. Dighiko, was transferred in exchange.

"So this is it… I guess." Pearl said as he and Dia looked up at the towering landscape.

It was a mountain – A really high mountain. The top was barely visible in the mist. There were trees growing out of the edges and cliffs.

Diamond's Torterra, Wig, used Rock Climb and started scaling the side of the mountain with the two trainers on its back along with Lax and Chahiko. It was going take a while to get to the top. They phoned Platina and Ruby to tell them about the progress. The Hoenn trainer was finalizing the design as well as checking the ingredients in the kitchen. The Sinnoh girl was riding her Rapidash and was on her way to his house to help out.

Meanwhile, Sapphire was also going to Ruby's house. She saw Caroline, Ruby's mom, outside sweeping. She guessed Norman was probably at the Gym by now.

"Good morning ma'am, Is Ruby here?" The blue-eyed girl greeted. She looked like she was full of energy and vigor.

"Good morning Sapphire. My son is inside. He seems to be working on something. He's been at it since last night. Platina is also coming over to help him out." Caroline replied. She was a little worried for her son that he might be overworking himself.

The part about Platina coming over shocked the young brunette. _Why did she only tell her?! Why not me?! I'm not good enough to help out?!_ She remained calm in front of Ruby's mom and smiled. "Can I go in and see him?" _He's dead!_

"Sure." Caroline smiled and continued sweeping.

Sapphire went in and saw the crimson-eyed boy in the kitchen working on something with utmost concentration. He was wearing a white apron and chef hat instead of his usual white beanie.

"Hey, what's the big idea!?" Sapphire yelled at him from behind which made the boy jolt up in surprise, almost dropping his baking utensils.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Ruby turned around and shouted back at the unexpected company.

"Why didn't ya tell me about this? I thought ya weren't gonna keep stuff from me anymore? Why did ya only tell Platina?" She spouted question after question. She had a lot of vent up emotion and she was letting it out.

Ruby placed the utensils on the table and exhaled deeply. Then she whispered something in her ear that surprised her.

"What?! That's what all this is about?" Sapphire's anger disappeared.

"I still have a lot to do. If you want to help, then fine. I've got another apron you could use." Ruby had mixed emotions. He was stressed out with all the workload but he wanted to see Sapphire in an apron especially the one he pulled out – a frilly blue one with Azurill prints.

The wild girl eyed the apron with disgust. _Is he serious or is he trying to get rid of me?! _

It was for a good cause. She hesitantly grabbed the apron and wore it. Her face was blushing with embarrassment. "Do I really have ta wear this?"

"Of course." Ruby replied as continued stirring the bowl. He didn't show his cunning grin in front of her. "I guess now, we need to make two."

Sapphire looked at him with a confused expression. "Why two?"

"Don't you want to make one for you-know-who? I'm gonna make a dark chocolate cake. It must not be too sweet. For yours, I think Vanilla will be fine." He handed her a bowl, a large spoon and some ingredients, mainly flour, eggs and milk.

The nature-loving trainer looked nervously at the stuff he gave her. "Uhm.. I don't know how to…."

Even if Ruby had a lot to do, he kept calm and patient. He measured some flour and shifted it before placing it in the mixing bowl, and then he added the rest of the ingredients. "Just stir until it's smooth"

Sapphire was still unsure what she was doing. The crimson-eyed boy noticed her uneasiness and stopped his own work. He went over to her and held her hands from behind. The girl jolted. The bowl almost spilled but she managed to hold on to it properly.

"What the hell do ya think yer doing?" Sapphire's face was completely red. Her hands were shaking. _He's too close._ She could feel his arms around her. It was warm like his soft breathing.

Ruby gently led her hands in a stirring motion. "I'm just teaching you what to do. Is there a problem?" He smiled innocently to hide his hidden motive. He was purposely trying to tease her. He found her blushing face as cute as her sincere grin.

Then they heard a knock on the door. "Ruby, I'm here. I brought the rest of the ingredients and materials." A voice from the other side of the door said. It was Platina.

The two quickly broke away from their position. Ruby tried to wipe off the redness of his flustered face. _I almost got carried away for a second._

Sapphire moved to the other side of the kitchen while the red-eyed boy answered the door.

Platina entered with a bag of ingredients, followed by her Empoleon carrying Ruby's needed materials. They set the materials down in the living room while Platina placed the baking needs in the kitchen. She noticed Sapphire and greeted her.

"Good morning Sapphire. I'm glad you're here to help out Ruby as well."

The azure-eyed girl was still blushing. She was too nervous to say anything so she merely nodded in acknowledgement.

Ruby handed Platina an apron –a pink one with no frills just a Cherrim print. Sapphire looked at her excessively girly apron. _He did this on purpose! _She was going to snap.

"Saph!" Ruby called out to her. "Thanks again for helping me out!" He smiled at her with gratitude.

She lost the will to beat him up. She decided to let it slide... this time.

Sapphire continued her stirring. Platina took over Ruby's baking so he could work on his other project. In the end, Ruby still had to supervise both of them. The wild girl had no experience in baking, the same as Platina but the wealthy heiress had read a few cook books and she watched Dia make poffins from time to time.

Caroline came in and finally asked what their purpose was for all this. Her son had no choice but to tell her. Her face lit up with emotion as she hugged her son.

"Mom, not again!"

The two girls in the kitchen laughed. Caroline helped out with the baking as well as the supervising. Ruby could finally concentrate on his work.

* * *

In Sinnoh, Pearl and Diamond reached the top of the mountain. It was actually a Plateau. The top was a vast plain with several very tall trees. The treetops were covered by a mist. Dia returned Wig to its pokeball and began to look around with Pearl and their two pokemon.

"You sure Platina and Ruby have the right place?" The blonde boy asked as he observed he extremely quiet place. It was an eerie sort of silent. Even Chahiko was uneasy about the place.

"I think so. Let me check." Diamond took out the pokegear and phoned Ruby.

The crimson-eyed boy was in the living room sewing a pattern on the material. He heard the pokegear ring. He placed it on the table before he answered.

"Hi Ruby. Pearl and I finally reached the top." Diamond appeared on the screen.

"That's good. So did you find one?" Ruby inquired.

Platina and Sapphire poured the last of the batter into the circular cake pan before they turned their attention to the boy displayed on the pokegear's monitor. Caroline placed the two trays in the oven and timed it. Then she started cleaning up.

"Actually, there's nothing up here." Pearl entered the display screen. He seemed worried about something.

Sapphire recognized the two boys from the picture. Platina introduced her to them and vice versa. The Sinnoh boys smiled back at the blue-eyed brunette.

"Wait!" Pearl interrupted. "Listen. There's something wrong."

The blonde trainer explained the place, the uncomfortable silence, and the bad feeling he's been having.

Meanwhile Dia and Lax came towards the tall trees. He sensed a faint smell of berries and decided to find some. They couldn't resist the sweet aroma.

"I don't understand. The Pokedex said that is one of their major habitats." Platina took out her pokedex to double check.

Just then Pearl heard a familiar voice calling to him. He turned around and his face turned pale.

"Pearl? What's the matter?!" Ruby asked with growing concern. The view behind Pearl was not very visible. None of the trainers in Hoenn knew what was happening.

The blonde boy grasped the pokegear and ran. His face was completely terrified.

"Pearl what is it?!" The crimson-eyed boy shouted.

The blonde trainer gave the pokegear to his Chatot. Chahiko held the phone with its claws and directed screen towards the scene behind them. Diamond was running with his Munchlax at his heels and behind him was a flock of Starlys and Staravias.

Pearl lowered his speed so Dia could catch up. "Dia-I mean Diamond! What did you do!?"

The black-haired boy explained that he and Lax where only eating a pile of berries they found. Then the trees around them started rustling and the bird pokemon started popping out of nowhere.

*faceplam* "Diamond, you and your hunger always gets us into trouble!"

* * *

_Back to the present…_

_*(Another joke, I decided to try… Read with twinkle2x little stars tone)*_

Pearl: Angry, pissed off little Stars!

Dia: How many do you think there are?

Pearl: Just keep running or we will die!

Dia: Hi, I'm Diamond. Want some pie?

_*(I don't know… Just some random stuff I come up with!)*_

The boy with the red beret stopped and took out a pie from his bag and tried to make a peace offering. Pearl stopped abruptly and slapped his partner with a paper fan

"What the heck are you thinking?! This is no time for food!" He grabbed Dia by the collar and hastened his pace.

Then out of nowhere a black shadow swooped in and attempted to grab the two trainers.

"Look out!"

Luckily Pearl saw it in time and moved out of the way. They slid across the grassy field and came face to face with the attacker.

It was a Staraptor but it was almost twice the size of a normal one, having grown in the wild. Its deep red eyes glared at them like bloodthirsty predator. There were two noticeable white spots above its left eye, like birth marks, making it more distinguishable.

They were surrounded by the birds of prey. The blonde stood up and took out three pokeballs. "I guess we have no choice but to battle."

Diamond nodded at Pearl and took two pokeballs. Lax stayed close to Dia. Chahiko remained at his trainer's side, holding the pokegear. The trainers in Hoenn could only watch and hope for the best.

Pearl, Chimhiko along with Ruby's Delactty faced the opponent in front of them while Diamond took charge of the group taking on the Starlys and Staravias.

The group of bird pokemon charged at them. Rayhiko was the first to go on the offensive. It released a strong shockwave which electrocuted several opponents at once. The attack was followed by Dia's Mamoswine and Bastiodon. The giant mammoth-like pokemon created a huge Blizzard while Don used Ancient power. The barrage of attacks sent most of the Starlys and Staravias fleeing but there were still many others that remained unyielding and continued to fight.

Meanwhile, the Staraptor was locked in battle against Pearl's Infernape. Both attacked each other with Close Combat but the bird pokemon had the aerial advantage. It saw an opening and managed to land a powerful blow on Chimhiko. The fiery monkey pokemon was knocked back to the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, the hawk-like pokemon bared its claws and lunged at the fallen enemy.

"Chimhiko, get up!" Pearl shouted but his pokemon was still shaken up by the attack.

The Staraptor closed in but was hit from the side by Ruby's Delcatty. The cat pokemon launched a spinning Double-edge which sent the large bird tumbling to the ground.

"Nice work, Coco! Follow up with Iron tail!" Ruby gave his Delcatty orders via pokegear.

Coco lashed out at the opponent with its tail shining brightly. The Staraptor saw the impending attack and flew out of the way in the nick of time while landing a Wing attack at the unsuspecting Delcatty, knocking her back quite a distance.

_That thing's not only strong, it's fast. I didn't even see that it was going use Wing attack. _Pearl was up against a tough adversary.

The large bird took to the skies and eyed at its opponents.

"Pearl! I want that one!" Ruby told the blonde trainer over the pokegear.

"Are you insane?!" Pearl couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Did you see how strong that thing is?!"

Ruby's crimson eyes grew serious. "That's why I want it!"

"Damn it! Prissy boy you owe me big time!" Pearl readied an Ultra Ball to throw at any possible moment.

The Staraptor saw the boy's intention and spread its wings widely.

"Brace yourselves! It's going to use Whirlwind!" The quick-witted blonde shouted.

The hawk-like pokemon began to create massive Whirlwinds. The remaining flock of Starlys and Staravias fled, unable to fly in the rapid air currents.

Pearl along with Coco and his own pokemon took cover behind Dia's Mamoswine. While Lax and his trainer held on to Don. The two sturdy pokemon stood their ground and endured the strong winds.

"What do we do now?" Dia asked Pearl as he held on tightly to his Bastiodon. Pearl couldn't think properly. He was too busy holding on to the pokemon so none would get swept away by the wind.

"I guess, we'll just have to resort to our secret weapon." Ruby said as he gave a cunning smile.

"Secret weapon?! The hell didn't you say anything before!" The blonde was shouting angrily at the pokegear screen.

"What weapon? C'mon Ruby do something!" Sapphire was also wondering what Ruby had planned. She and Platina had been watching the whole time but they were powerless to do anything. The result now rests now with the Ruby.

"Coco! "The red-eyed trainer signaled his Delcatty. The Cat pokemon took out something that was tucked in the fur around its neck. Then she handed the item over to Pearl.

The Blonde trainer grasped the item in his hand and realized what it was. – A Pokeblock Case.

"What the heck do I do with this thing?!" He didn't understand what the young contest coordinator wanted to him to do. "Idiot! This is no time for conditioning Pokemon for contests!" Pearl was getting desperate.

"Just listen to me for a second! I want you to take out all the spicy ones. They're the ones with the color red. Now hurry!"

Pearl knew the boy's accuracy for knowing a pokemon's nature. He quickly took out all the red ones. There were so many. _Did prissy boy really prepare all this!?_ _It must have taken some time to_ _make. _He had no time to dwell on the subject.

He threw them all in the air. The wind picked them up carried them around. The raging Staraptor got a whiff of the spicy treat and immediately stopped its attack. It dove after the red pokeblocks.

"Now attack!" Ruby shouted.

On cue, Pearl commanded his Infernape. "Chimhiko! Use Mach Punch!"

The flame monkey jumped into the air at incredible speed. The distracted bird pokemon couldn't dodge the swift attack and was knocked unconscious to the ground. Pearl followed up with an Ultra ball, catching the Staraptor.

The Sinnoh pair was finally able to take a breather. It was one battle; they never wished to do again.

The trio in Hoenn rejoiced at the triumphant victory.

Sometime after, the two trainers rested, they transferred Coco back along with the newly caught Staraptor. Ruby also gave back Pearl's Diglet.

With their mission completed, Pearl and Diamond descended the mountain to find a town and get some well-deserved rest.

* * *

Ruby and Sapphire were finishing up decorating the cakes. It was something they had to do personally. The crimson-eyed boy's careful hands decorated the chocolate cake with well-made patterns while Sapphire, having no experience, did her best at what she could do. Each of them poured their heart into their work.

The azure-eyed trainer had an idea and added some of Pilo's fruits as toppings, making it a tad more presentable.

After that Ruby still had some unfinished business. He took the Staraptor's pokeball, his bag with his pokegear and the half-done project and headed for Oldale town.

Sapphire told her father to have dinner again at Ruby's house. Platina was also invited to stay for the meal.

Nighttime came; Norman entered the house and was surprised to see Birch sitting in their living room. His wife was smiling gleefully as she set the table.

"Hey Norman." Prof. Birch waved the Petalburg Gym leader. "Sapphire told me to have dinner here again. She sounded really persistent."

Norman was still puzzled. "The occasion being?"

The pokemon researcher shrugged his shoulders. His daughter never said anything to him other than to have dinner. Norman tried asking his wife but Caroline just smiled at him without giving a clear answer. He knew something was up. Ruby wasn't in the house, which added to his suspicion.

Minutes later, Sapphire and Platina came back. They went to Oldale Town to fetch Ruby but strangely he wasn't there anymore and they couldn't reach him by pokegear either.

"Sapphire." The brown-haired man called to his daughter. "Come here for a second."

The azure-eyed girl came over and sat next to him on the couch. "What's up?" She looked cheerful for some reason.

"Would you mind telling me why are we staying here for dinner?"

"Nope." A direct and straight to the point answer.

Prof. Birch chuckled in response.

Platina went to the kitchen and assisted Ruby's mom with the rest of the preparations.

Just then, the front door opened and Ruby came in. He was covered in scratches and his clothes were a mess. His father came over but Caroline beat him to it.

"Ruby, what happened?" His mom fussed over him. "I knew you were overdoing things."

"I'm fine, mom. I just fell off on the way here." Ruby replied. "I'm gonna go and change first."

He was going to go up to his room and change but his dad stopped him and asked. "Fell off of what?" He had that stern expression on his face. Ruby took at that as a sign he's worried.

"You'll know very soon." He smiled at him. Norman stepped aside and his son went upstairs.

A little while later, the table was set. Ruby came back down, all clean and wearing fresh clothes.

"Alright then! Let's start." The crimson-eyed boy announced. The girls nodded. Norman and Prof. Birch felt they were left out for some reason.

The Hoenn duo eagerly took out two boxes from the fridge. Sapphire's box was wrapped in a light blue ribbon while Ruby's box had dark red ribbons. They came over to their fathers and handed them their boxes. Caroline was filming them. She had gotten interested after watching Ruby's videos. The two adult males looked at each other before opening the box.

They opened it and were surprised.

"Happy Father's Day!" The two teens exclaimed in unison.

Prof. Birch was tearing up at her daughter's gesture. The cake was smothered with vanilla frosting and topped with small crescent shaped berries but the most distinguishing part was the center with a disconfigured smiley face. It was somewhat round with some brown icing for hair. The professor could only guess that his daughter was trying to draw his face. He held the cake with one arm and the other he wrapped around his daughter. Sapphire hugged his father back with a huge smile.

Norman stared at the chocolate cake. The coating was more smooth and uniform. There was the Balance badge insignia in the middle. It was very well done. The side of the cake read: "Happy Father's Day" and another text in smaller letters saying: "Your son, Ruby." The Gym leader was speechless as he looked at his son's face.

"I got another surprise, Dad!" Ruby took the cake from him and placed it on the coffee table. He led his father outside. The others in the house followed them.

The night was beautiful. There weren't much large cities nearby so many stars lit up the sky. A full moon was shining down on them. The atmosphere was cool and serene.

Ruby took his dad to a wide clearing while the rest stayed at a good distance. Caroline, though, came closer as she recorded it all on video.

The tall raven-haired man had no idea what his son was up to this time.

"Dad, I heard you gave your Flygon to Wally, right?" the boy asked.

Norman didn't know why that was relevant but he answered anyway. "Yes."

"Well, that means you don't have a flying pokemon now." Ruby pointed out.

"Yes." The Gym leader still wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"In that case.." The red-eyed trainer looked up to sky and did a high-pitch whistle.

There was a loud beating of wings, followed by a wide dark shadow. All of them saw a black flying figure in the sky. It descended right beside Ruby and his father, much to Birch and Norman's surprise. It was a Staraptor, a large one. It was wearing a harness on its body complete with a saddle and a strap to hold on to. The saddle also bore the Balance Badge symbol.

Ruby came over and patted the side of its wing. Then he glanced back at his dad.

Norman went near the enormous hawk pokemon. He noticed the two markings above its left eye. It closely resembled Ruby's scars. The pokemon also had the same color of eyes as his son. The Staraptor lowered its head slightly as the Petalburg Gym leader stroked its head.

His son handed him its pokeball. He reached for it but his hand passed it. Instead he pulled Ruby to hug him. Caroline came closer to record it but the Staraptor draped its large wing over the two, completely covering them from sight. The father and son laughed softly at the pokemon's gesture.

"Thank you.." Those were the only words Norman could say but Ruby felt that gratitude deep in his heart.

As Platina watched them, she wished her father was here with her too. Last she saw him was at Prof. Rowan's lab back in Sinnoh. He was very busy. He had a lot to work to be done.

"Platina?" a familiar voice came from behind.

_It couldn't be…_The dark-haired girl thought she was hearing things.

"Ah, Prof. Berlitz, did you come all this way?" Prof. Birch said.

_No, that's not possible… _Platina turned around and saw a man wearing glasses and dressed in a suit. He was talking to Sapphire's dad. The man turned and looked at her with a smile.

The Sinnoh girl ran towards him. "Father!"

Prof. Berlitz embraced his beloved daughter.

Sapphire and Prof. Birch stood aside let them enjoy their family reunion.

_He's here... He's actually here. _Platina couldn't believe it. "But how? Why didn't you tell me?" She asked. Her eyes were tearing up.

"I received a call last night from a boy. He told me to come here because you wanted me to spend time with me so I cancelled all my appointments, took a leave from Prof. Rowan and rode a ship all the way here." Prof. Berlitz replied.

_A boy? He couldn't have.. _Platina glanced at Ruby. The crimson-eyed looked back at her and winked.

"I was also told to buy cake." The man handed her a small white box. She held it in her hands which trembled with joy. She still couldn't believe what was happening. The events were all surreal.

"I also have another surprise." Then the man gestured to the sky.

The second Platina looked towards the sky; it lit up in a burst of colors

"Fireworks."

Everyone stared and awed at the magnificent display.

"But, it's Father's Day. I'm supposed to be the one surprising you. I'm supposed to make you happy not the other way around!" Platina said. She remembered all the effort Sapphire and Ruby gave to celebrate this occasion. She did nothing for her own father.

Her father smiled and hugged her. "Whatever makes you happy makes me happier."

Platina couldn't hold back anymore. Tears of sheer happiness fell from her eyes.

Ruby, Sapphire and Platina were together with their fathers on Father's day as they watched the fireworks. It was a night they will always remember.

* * *

Somewhere in Sinnoh...

"Dia are we there yet?"

The comedic duo was still on their way to town. They had gotten lost after Diamond smelled something delicious in another direction. Both of them were exhausted.

Just then a familiar face showed up riding a swan-like pokemon with a crescent shape ornaments on its head and pink ring-like wings

"Need a lift?"

"D-Dad?! What are you doing here?!" Pearl was in shock. _The heck is going on here?!_

"Hello, Mr. Palmer." Dia greeted with a not so surprised face.

The Leader of the Battle tower smiled at his son's best friend and dismounted from his Cresselia. He approached his son and leaned towards him with an unhappy expression. "Hey I told you to call me Daddy. How many times do I have to say it again?"

"Dad! I mean Daddy, just tell me what are you doing here?!"

"Your friend called me. He said you need someone to pick you up." Palmer replied. " And I had a hard time looking for you two."

"Friend? Who was it?!" Pearl was confused. _Who could have called him?!_

"Some boy with a girl's name. I can't remember." The blonde adult scratched his head.

The blonde boy's mouth gapped. _Ruby? How did he contact the Battle Frontier? Well, I guess he paid me back after all._

"Anyway, I'm heading back to Twinleaf. So get on Cresselia and let's go." Pearl's dad gestured to the levitating pokemon waiting for them.

"C'mon Diamond! Let's go." Pearl grabbed his partner who looked somewhat reluctant.

"I'm also dropping by a place to buy a cake. Would you guys help me pick one out?" Palmer suggested as he mounted on his Lunar pokemon.

Dia's face lit up with joy. "Sure!"

Pearl's father hoisted them up on to his Cresselia and they flew off into the night.

* * *

After dinner, their guests thanked Ruby and his family for the meal and bid goodbye. Platina and her father were escorted by a car to the Hotel in Rustboro. Sapphire and Prof. Birch returned to their own home next door.

Caroline and Norman cleaned up. Ruby was on the phone talking to Pearl regarding the events that took place. He had asked his master Wallace for help regarding the contact number for the Battle Frontier. Wallace had asked his friends, as well as pulled a few strings to give his student what he needed. Being a famous Pokemon Contest judge and Hoenn champion had its perks.

For Prof. Rowan, he already had his contact before he left Hoenn. It was given to him by Prof. Birch for emergency purposes. He phoned the renowned pokemon researcher to talk to his assistant, Platina's father.

After Ruby's parents finished cleaning up, they checked on their son. They found him sleeping soundly on the couch with the pokegear still in his hand.

Caroline sighed. "I told him he was overdoing things." She stroked the boy's head and took off his hat. She also put away the pokegear in his hand.

Norman came in with a blanket and carefully wrapped it around him. Then he scooped him up in his arms and carried him to his bed.

He gently lay the sleeping boy on his bed and sat beside him.

"I thought for a while, you were all grown up. I guess there is still a child left in you." Ruby's father placed his hand on his son's head. "...And that means I can still be as much of a father to you while that lasts."

* * *

**End of Chapter 15**

**"Happy Father's Day to all" **

**Current date: June 15'13 Father's day is tomorrow!  
****This chapter is Special so it's quite long. Hope you all like it.**

**I still have to scan and find typos.. I'll edit when I can**.

**Don't mind the joke. I think it's another sad attempt.**

** Review Pls.  
Thank you so much reviewers! I'm really happy with all your comments! =D**

**BTW. This is not the End!**


	16. It was an Accident, right?

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 16: It was an Accident, right?**

* * *

It was morning; Sapphire was filled with boundless vigor. She learned that Platina was going to spend time with her father before he goes back to Sinnoh. It meant that Ruby won't be hanging out with the black-haired princess.

The azure eyed trainer wore her vibrant blue sleeveless top with black shorts, her usual bandanna, her black and white shoes and gloves and as a plus she wore the deep blue scarf that Ruby gave her. She grinned with one fang showing as she looked at herself in the mirror.

Then she wondered. _When did I become so fussy over looks anyway? It's so not like me. Well, I am a girl. Maybe it's natural. Prissy boy got into battles. I don't think it would hurt to be more girly._

Images of Platina appeared in her head. Her long black silky hair, long thick eye lashes, her dainty figure.

Sapphire desperately shook her head to get rid of the thoughts. _That's right. I can never be like her… But who cares?! Today it's just me and him. _There was a moment of pause for that last thought as a pink hue spread across her face.

After all the preparations, the energetic girl ran out of the house. She went to Ruby's house and found Norman and his Staraptor outside, ready to depart for Petalburg City. Normally he would walk all the way there but this time, he decided to ride the bird pokemon his son gave him.

"Good morning, Mr. Norman!" Sapphire chirped.

Norman and the Staraptor turned their attention to the approaching girl. The tall man nodded with a plain expression. He already predicted the girl's intentions. It was already a common occurrence.

"Is Ruby awake yet?" the azure-eyed girl asked with a ring of enthusiasm.

The Staraptor squawked as it raised its wings in the air. Sapphire flinched at the sudden behavior of the giant bird.

Ruby's dad calmed him down with a slight pat to its side. "It just misunderstood what you said."

The young teen didn't get it. She had a puzzled expression on her face.

Norman observed her confused look and turned his gaze back to the large hawk-like pokemon. "It thought you meant him." He began to explain as he stroked the side of the pokemon's head.

"...Because I named him, Ruvi."

It was rare for the stern Gym leader to give a nickname to a pokemon.

Sapphire grinned at the revelation. _So he named the Staraptor after Ruby? That's awesome! _

She touched the side of Ruvi's wing. Then she noticed the two white birthmarks above its crimson red eye. _Now that you mention it, he does remind you a bit about Ruby._

The Staraptor lowered its head and observed the curious girl staring at him.

Sapphire stroked the red-tipped crest on its head. The crimson shade was really eye-catching.

In a split-second, the bird pokemon instinctively raised its head and tried to neaten its comb with its wing.

The blue-eyed brunette laughed. _Yup, that's definitely Ruby!_

After Norman flew off on his Staraptor, Sapphire went inside to find Ruby. Caroline smiled and welcomed the lively girl. Then she went up to the boy's room and saw him still in bed.

An evil smile appeared on the brown-haired girl's face. She crept quietly towards the side of his bed and watched his sleeping face. He was lying in a sort of fetal position but it was to tell with the blankets. He looked so calm and peaceful. His raven black hair was a little messy and his scars weren't visible because he was lying on his left side.

With a toothy grin, Sapphire poked his cheek.

No movement.

She poked again, twice consecutively.

His eyes twitched but still remained close.

She poked again but with a little more force.

The boy snuggled closer to his blanket.

The girl's grin grew wider as she tried gently pinching his cheek.

Ruby's hand came out from under the covers and flicked her hand away. Then he mumbled something. Sapphire couldn't hear it. She moved closer to his face. Her curiosity took the better of her. The mumbling continued. It was almost understandable. She inched closer, almost touching his face. The noises stopped and azure-eyed girl was disappointed.

_I wonder what he was dreaming about. _She thought to herself.

Just then, the sleeping boy stirred. The brunette's eyes grew wide in anticipation as she drew even nearer.

But the unexpected happen.

Ruby turned to the other side. Sapphire was too close. She didn't back up in time. She felt her lips lightly brushed against his when he moved.

The girl froze up for a second as the event slowly sunk in. _Was that..? A k-ki – _

*Ba-thump*

Her face became bright red.

*Ba-thump*

Then she screamed as she retreated to the other side of the room. Her shout was so loud that Ruby jolted in surprise and woke up.

"What happened?!" He sat up in a hurry and scanned his room. He saw Sapphire on the floor with her back leaning against the wall at the far-end of his room. Her hand was covering her mouth. She looked nervous and stressed out for some reason.

"Saph? What are you doing here?" Ruby got out bed and approached her.

*Ba-thump*

"NO! Don't come any closer!" She shouted.

The boy flinched and stopped in his tracks. _What's with her?_

*Ba-thump*

Sapphire buried her red flushed face in her scarf. Her mind was a wreck. _Did I..? Did he just?.. Did we? K-kiss…?_

*Ba-thump*

Ruby felt concerned. _Did I do something wrong again? _

He moved towards her, slowly as to not spook her. He felt he was going near a timid pokemon.

All of a sudden, his step made the floor creak. The blue-eyed girl stared at him. She looked panick-stricken.

*Ba-thump*

Without warning, she quickly stood up and bolted out of the room. Ruby chased after her but when he reached downstairs, she was already out the door.

"Dammit she's fast."

* * *

Sapphire ran towards the forest, to the safety of her secret base. She leaped from tree to tree and swung from one vine to another till she reached her haven hidden at a side of a cliff.

The rocky cavern was filled with pokemon decorations from floor mats and posters, to cushions and plushies. There were also chairs and tables as well as a television set. The place had gotten bigger from the last time since two of them decided to share it. There were a few additional chambers. One for Ruby's personal grooming saloon, where he could pamper and prep his pokemon before contests and it also acts as storage for his extra equipment and supplies. The other room had a blue tent where Sapphire camped in from time to time. There weren't many decorations other than flowers and other plants.

The azure eyed brunette paced back and forth. It looked as if she wasn't calming down any time soon. The pokemon on her belt were worried and dizzy at the same time.

"Oooppsss, sorry guys…" Sapphire managed to notice them.

She placed her belt on the table and took out her starter, Toro. The Blaziken squawked softly at her.

"Toro, what do I do?" She continued pacing again.

*Ba-thump*

The blaze pokemon sighed. It was getting dizzy watching its trainer.

Suddenly, the wild girl just screamed out all her frustration.

Toro flinched. The Tailows and Swellows near the area fled in a panic.

Sapphire exhaled deeply and sighed. "It was an accident, right?" Her nerves were steadily increasing again.

"So that wouldn't actually count, right?" She unconsciously started to pace again.

Her Blaziken couldn't take it anymore. It placed its claw on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring look.

The blue-eyed trainer finally settled down. "Thanks, Toro."

* * *

Back at Littleroot Town, Ruby got changed in a hurry and took his pokemon with him. He skipped breakfast which made his mom upset.

Caroline stopped him from going out. "Ruby, sweetie, you've been pushing yourself too hard ever since you came home." Her motherly instincts knew that her son wasn't feeling well. She was very worried about him.

"I'm alright. I'll be back soon."

Despite his mother's warning, Ruby needed to check on Sapphire. He felt there was something going on.

He ignored the light-headedness he felt ever since he woke up. _I'll just finish this quickly and go home._

The crimson-eyed trainer already guessed where the wild girl could have gone and proceeded to go there. _There's only one place, she'd go..._

He found it hard trudging through the forest. He had to jump across streams and pass through think vegetation. In his eyes, the forest looked different. There were more plants and the trees were taller. A lot had changed in a year. He only hoped that he still remembered the way.

"Maybe I should have gone and gotten myself a flying pokemon too." He said to himself.

The air was somewhat colder than usual. He turned his attention towards the sky. Light gray clouds started to gather. The wind was slowly picking up. The chilliness around him was bearing down on his body.

"That's just perfect." Ruby muttered under his breath.

* * *

Sapphire gazed at the dull gray sky.

"I guess I should go home for now." She told herself.

She returned Toro to its pokeball and grabbed the rest of her team before departing. The thoughts of the kiss still lingered in her mind. She decided to keep it to herself. She didn't know what her father or Ruby would say.

"It was an accident, right?"

* * *

**End of Chapter 16  
**

**Ruvi is still pronounced as Ruby except for the "V" part. I found it Cute!**

**Lol. JY, it was not the end! Well maybe for the sideline story.**

**Chapter 15 is long because I made it for Father's Day.**

**I still have a few tricks up my sleeve left. Maybe this will end around Chap20, more or less.**

**Review Pls. It can be any review. Tell me what you think...  
**

**I'll post the next chapter if I get a review!**

**Thanks everyone for your continued support!**


	17. Voice

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Voice**

* * *

The sky grew darker. Rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance. The pokemon in the forest retreated to the safety of their homes but some openly welcomed the incoming rain like the Lotads and Surkits.

Sapphire's mind was elsewhere as she finally made her way back to Littleroot Town. She stopped for a bit and glanced at Ruby's house. All seemed quiet.

She recalled how she left in a hurry. Ruby looked worried about her. She didn't have the time to explain herself nor did she know how.

_If I told him what happened, what would he say? Will it even matter to him? _Her train of thought was cut off by a solitary raindrop. She looked up. Little by little more drops began to fall. She quickly ran inside her house and peered through the window. It was raining.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby managed to reach the secret base by the time it started pouring. He was out of breath for some reason. He never felt that tired when he goes there before. The boy's light-headedness worsened. He leaned on the rocky cavern walls as his eyes carefully scanned place.

There was no one else there.

_She's not here? _He cursed under his breath. He felt for sure she would be there. _Where could she have gone?_

He slumped unto the cold hard ground. He felt his body was getting heavier by the minute. His pokemon rustled in their pokeballs. They were concerned for their trainer.

The chilling wind, from outside, made Ruby shiver. He needed to go further in to warm himself. He stood up again and entered the chamber with the flowers and tent. Inside the tent were a couple of cushions and a blanket. The tent floor was soft enough to be a bed.

"I'll just rest here till the storm dies down."

He laid his head on the cushions. He wrapped the blanket around himself. The dizziness and exhaustion took over. He immediately fell asleep.

* * *

Hours passed. The rain continued to pour down hard as lighting struck down from the sky. Sapphire was sitting in her room, listening to the sound of the raindrops beating against the window.

"I wonder what Ruby is doing now?" She asked herself.

She was playing around with an empty pokeball on her desk, when her pokegear rang.

She flinched and almost fell down on her chair. She turned her attention to the ringing coming from her bag.

_Could that be Ruby? ….Should I answer? _Her nerves started to sink in. She swallowed hard as she hesitantly took out the pokegear from her bag.

The screen displayed, "Ruby's house."

*Ba-thump*

_It is Ruby? What do I do? _The ringing continued.

*Ba-thump*

_Just relax. He doesn't know what happened. No need to be so conscious about it._

The girl exhaled deeply and clicked the answer button. "H-hello?..."

"Sapphire?" a woman's voice came from the other end of the line.

She was relieved it wasn't who she thought. Her nervousness settled down a bit.

_It isn't him… But this voice is…_

The blue-eyed brunette recognized it. _That's odd. Why would Ruby's mom call me?_

"Yes?" she answered back.

"Is Ruby with you?" Caroline asked. A sense of worry and fear resonated in her voice.

_Why would she ask me that? ….He's not at home? Did he come after me?_

Sapphire's nervousness changed into fear and worry.

"…No, he isn't"

The blue-eyed girl could hear some sobbing and gasping in the other line. Her heart was beating fast.

Rain continued to pour down heavily. Flashes of lighting struck followed by loud rumbling.

"Ma'am, please. Could ya tell me what happened?"

Sapphire tried to stay calm as she possibly could. Caroline told her how Ruby left the house a few hours ago in hurry saying he would be back soon but he wasn't returned nor was he answering his pokegear.

In this storm, both of them feared the worst.

"I'll try and call him." Sapphire suggested with a positive tone. Caroline calmed down a bit before they ended the call.

The blue eyed girl clutched her scarf tightly. _Ruby, wherever you are... Please be okay._

She started dialing Ruby's pokegear.

* * *

A little earlier, Platina and her father were in their hotel room at Rustboro City. They cancelled their trip to Lavaridge town due to the weather. They wanted to visit at least once to Hoenn's famous hotsprings.

"It's a shame we had to cancel our father-daughter outing." Prof. Berlitz said with disappointment.

His daughter didn't say a word.

"Platina?" The tall man wearing glasses glanced at his daughter.

The black-haired girl was staring out the window, watching the rain fall. She was used to being in big hotels watching scenic views of the paved streets and tall buildings, but this time her eyes were fixed on the tall trees of the forest outside the city.

Prof. Berlitz came over to her and draped a fluffy coat over her shoulders. Platina snapped out of her daze and looked at her father.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention." The black-haired girl felt embarrassed as she wrapped the coat closer to herself.

"Are you worried about something?" Her father asked as he stood alongside her by the tall glass window.

"Or is it someone?" He added.

Platina was surprised by her father's reaction. She didn't expect something like that to come from him.

"I-I'm just worried about my friends. That's all." She replied. Her gaze was still locked on the misty forest. "I wonder how they are doing."

"It's nice that you made more friends, other than Pearl and Diamond." Prof. Berlitz said. A smile formed on his face as well as his daughter's.

He knew his daughter grew up away from a normal life. She had always dwelled in high societies. It was only until she made her journey to Mt. Coronet and met the manzai duo, that she began to change. She was more open to her thoughts and feelings. She also developed courage and determination. But the most valuable thing she learned was the value of trust and friendship. Those things could never be taught by any book because they are earned through experience.

Platina's father was very proud of how much she had grown.

"Why don't you call them?" He suggested.

Platina's face lit up and nodded.

Prof. Berlitz stepped out of the room to give his daughter some time to talk with her friends.

Platina picked up the phone in the hotel room and called Ruby.

* * *

_An overwhelming heat was radiating from above. A raging rainstorm made the waves wild and intense. Loud violent roars resonated all over the land and sea. Two giant pokemon were locked in a fierce chaotic battle with each other. _

'...Where have I seen this before?' a voice in his head echoed.

_Two figures came in, riding across the sky on a green dinosaur with long leafy wings. They flew closer and gazed down at the two legendaries._

'That's right. I remember now….'

_Then a flying car zoomed beneath the air-borne pokemon. _

_One of the silhouettes was pushed off the back of the dinosaur pokemon and fell inside the car along with two smaller shadows._

"This was the part, I..."

"…_I like you too."_

_The figure standing on the green dino was starting to be clearer. It was a boy with raven black hair and crimson-red eyes. He was holding a blue orb in one hand and a white hat in the other._

"_I've always liked you. Ever since we first met..."_

_He stared at the person who was locked inside the vehicle. That person's face became more visible. It was a girl with brown hair and eyes like the clear ocean waters. She stared back at the boy who was preparing to leave._

'Back then, I only said that so whatever happens… even if I died that day, I wouldn't regret it.'

_As the boy went to face the two monstrous pokemon, everything faded into white._

* * *

Ruby opened his eyes.

"It was a dream…"He whispered to himself. "But why now…?"

The weather had not changed since he slept. He could still hear the thunder and rain coming from outside. There was also a faint ringing sound.

"Is that my pokegear?" He asked as he sat up.

He felt a lot better than when he came in but he still felt somewhat dizzy. He tried rubbing his forehead to lessen the hazy feeling but it was still there.

The ringing continued.

Ruby had left his bag outside the chamber when he came in. He got back to his feet and went out of the chamber. His bag was just lying outside the doorway of the room he came from.

He searched around his stuff and pulled out the ringing object. He didn't take the time to see who it was. He immediately pressed the answer button.

"…Hello?"

"Ruby?" A voice came from the other line. A familiar voice.

* * *

**End of Chapter 17  
**

**Yay! 25 Reviews! Thanks so much Vikeila! =)**

**Hooray! Cliffhanger! Who do you think? It's sort of obvious anyway...**

**Did I do the dream part right with the voice inside Ruby's head?**

**Review please! Thanks in advance.**


	18. Darkness of the Rain

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Darkness of the Rain**

* * *

Rain continued to pour outside. The beating sounds and the howling wind echoed throughout the cavern. All around, a sense of coldness filled the air.

"Ruby?"

"…Dad?" The crimson-eyed boy recognized the voice though he was somewhat unsure due to the haziness in his head.

"Your mom called me because you weren't answering. Just where are you?" Norman's voice was somewhat angry.

Ruby didn't realize how worried his parents were. "I fell asleep at Sapphire's secret base. Sorry about that."

The Gym leader detected hoarseness in his son's voice which made him even more concerned. He knew that Ruby was always overworking himself ever since he came home and judging from the things he did yesterday, he definitely was. "I'll come and pick you up. Just stay put."

Ruby wanted to excuse himself. He didn't want his father to worry too much and he knew he still has duties as a gym leader. "There's no need. I can go home on my own. And besides you don't even know where-."

"Don't be stupid!" Norman's tone was very furious but it didn't surprise the boy. He was used to it. "I'll ask help from Birch's daughter. So don't move." And with that the call ended.

_I guess Sapphire's at her home. I should have check there first._ Ruby sighed deeply as he settled down on the cushion covered mat. _I'm such an idiot._ He covered his eyes with his arm and tried to sleep. The dizziness in his head was still there.

The sound of the storm outside made him recall the dream and the confession. _I told her I liked her because I thought I'd never get another chance to see her again._ _I wasn't afraid to die back then if it meant protecting her. But now… "_I can't believe I just choked after the confession."

He remembered the time they came back on the 80th day of their bet. "I couldn't face her. I just hid behind that seemingly clueless smile of mine." _I hate it. I don't want to hide or pretend anymore. I don't want to lie to people especially those I really care about._

Ruby pulled out the pokeball containing his Gallade. He set the ball beside him and stared at the shiny pokemon. "If only I was brave like you Zaffiro… Or maybe as brave as the person I named you after – Sapphire." He smiled at the memory of how he first met Zaffiro as a Kirlia.

* * *

_The four young trainers were traveling to Solaceon Town after Ruby defeated the gym in Veilstone City. The route they took has raining. It was a common occurrence in that area. Each of them was wearing long sleeve clothes and they were using an umbrella; Platina had a white with pink wavy stripes, Ruby's was blue which looked like a mudkip head, while Dia and Pearl had red and green, respectively._

"_I still can't believe you defeated a gym leader." Pearl sighed. He was still at odds with the traveler from Hoenn. His mood was getting worse with the current weather. "I mean, you compete in pokemon contests so why battle gyms?"_

"_Lighten up Pearl." Diamond patted his partner on the shoulder._

"_Diamond is right, Pearl. I'm sure he has his reasons." Platina said as she glanced at the blonde boy who was clearly not happy having Ruby around._

"_So what reason would that be?" With a look of contempt, Pearl looked over to the red eyed boy who was lagging behind the Sinnoh trio._

_Ruby was deep in thought. He didn't seem to hear the blonde's question. His eyes were fixed on the hazy hillside caused by the rain._

"_Hey, I'm talking to you!" Pearl exclaimed. He felt his patience was nearing its end._

_The boy from Hoenn snapped out of his daze and turned to his direction. He saw something up ahead. A small figure was lying on the path. He couldn't make it out due to the misty rain but somehow he sensed a familiarity with the mysterious figure. He decided to trust his gut feeling. He threw away his umbrella and ran towards it._

"_Hey?! What's up?" Pearl was surprised by his sudden behavior. His gaze followed him as he passed through them heading towards the thing that lied up ahead._

_The trio hurriedly approached the boy who was crouching down in the rain. _

"_What happened?" Platina asked._

_Ruby stood up and turned around. The trio was surprised to see an injured pokemon in his arms– a Kirlia. It was covered in dirt and wounds and it was breathing heavily. The frail pokemon was really cold and almost weightless in Ruby's arm._

_The boy held it close to him. "We need to get to a pokemon center."_

_The four young trainers were traveling to Solaceon Town after Ruby defeated the gym in Veilstone City. The route they took has raining. It was a common occurrence in that area. Each of them was wearing long sleeve clothes and they were using an umbrella; Platina had a white with pink wavy stripes, Ruby's was blue which looked like a mudkip's head., while Dia and Pearl had red and green, respectively._

"_I still can't believe you defeated a gym leader." Pearl sighed. He was still at odds with the traveler from Hoenn. His mood was getting worse with the current weather. "I mean, you compete in pokemon contests so why battle gyms?"_

"_Lighten up Pearl." Diamond patted his partner on the shoulder._

"_Diamond is right, Pearl. I'm sure he has his reasons." Platina said as she glanced at the blonde boy who was clearly not happy having Ruby around._

"_So what reason would that be?" With a look of contempt, Pearl looked over to the red eyed boy who was lagging behind the Sinnoh trio._

_Ruby was deep in thought. He didn't seem to hear the blonde's question. His eyes were fixed on the hazy hillside caused by the rain._

"_Hey, I'm talking to you!" Pearl exclaimed. He felt his patience was nearing its end._

_The boy from Hoenn snapped out of his daze and turned to his direction. He saw something up ahead. A small figure was lying on the path. He couldn't make it out due to the misty rain but somehow he sensed a familiarity with the mysterious figure. He decided to trust his gut feeling. He threw away his umbrella and ran towards it._

"_Hey?! What's up?" Pearl was surprised by his sudden behavior. His gaze followed him as he passed through them heading towards the thing that lied up ahead._

_The trio hurriedly approached the boy who was crouching down in the rain. _

"_What happened?" Platina asked._

_Ruby stood up and turned around. The trio was surprised to see an injured pokemon in his arms– aKirlia. It was covered in dirt and wounds and it was breathing heavily. The frail pokemon was really cold and almost weightless in Ruby's arm._

_The boy held it close to him. "We need to get to a pokemon center."_

"_But I think the town's still far…" Diamond pointed out. Not a single building could be seen ahead just a thick mist of rain. It would be bad for the injured pokemon if they take too long._

"_Platina's Rapidash can't run in the rain. Rayhiko's the best choice but it'll be faster if he takes only one person." Pearl took out his Luxray's pokeball. The black lion-like pokemon looked raring to go._

"_Ruby found it first, plus he has experiences with this kind of pokemon, seeing that he has one as well. He should be the one to take it."Platina said. _

_The blonde was hesitant to lend his pokemon to the crimson-eyed boy but it was an emergency. He sent out his Luxray and Ruby mounted on its back. _

"_We'll meet up again at Solaceon Town." Pearl said._

_Ruby nodded. Then Rayhiko ran through the rain with the boy on his back. The scenery of hillsides and trees seemed to go on forever. There was no sign of any town or building of any kind._

_He held the Kirlia close to him_. "_It's going to be alright... I promise." He reassured it, hoping that the pokemon will sense his emotions._

_After what seemed to be an hour, Ruby spotted a building with a red roof top. _

'_The pokemon center… finally,' he thought. _

_Rayhiko dashed inside the pokemon center and Ruby got off with the Kirlia clutched in one arm. All of them were drenched in the rain._

_Nurse Joy, along with her Chansey, ran towards them, they expected it to be an emergency. Ruby handed her the injured pokemon and explained what happened. The pink haired nurse carefully placed the Kirlia on the stretcher and hurriedly took her into one of the rooms. The pokemon was in good hands. The other Chanseys in the center handed them a towel to dry off with._

_Ruby wiped his face and arms before he draped it over his shoulders. His attention was then directed to Pearl's pokemon who was also wet and muddy. He took out his grooming equipment and smiled at the Luxray. Rayhiko didn't know what the red-eyed boy's intention was. He merely looked at him as he came closer with his tools._

_Sometime later, the Sinnoh trio arrived at the pokemon center. Pearl was surprised to see his Luxray at the far end of the room with Ruby. The crimson-eyed trainer was doing something. The blonde felt suspicious of him. The three of them approached him._

_Rayhiko turned towards them, alerting Ruby of company. _

"_You guys finally made it!" The Hoenn trainer turned around them with a happy smile. He had a brush and a pair of scissors in his hands which made Pearl even more suspicious._

"_What are you doing to Rayhiko?!" The blonde moved him aside and went over to his pokemon. What he saw made him speechless._

_The Luxray was clean and dry. Its jet-black fur was silky and shiny. The claws were sharpened and it wore a scarf the same color as Pearl's, only darker. The black lion pokemon looked pleased._

_Platina and Diamond awed at Rayhiko's transformation. Pearl noticed that Ruby, himself, was still dripping wet. He had placed the pokemon above his own needs. The blonde never expected that._

"_Doesn't he look cool?" Ruby's eyes sparkled with pride. *sneeze*_

_Before Ruby could say anything more, Pearl threw a towel in his face. "That's what you get for not changing your wet clothes!" He shouted._

_The drenched boy removed the towel from his face and looked at the blonde trainer._

_Pearl gave a relieved sigh. "..Honestly." He scratched his head in defeat. 'I guess he's not all bad…'_

_Then he smiled at him. A thing none of them expected. _

'_They seem to be getting along.' Platina thought. She turned her attention towards Ruby who was taking out some fresh clothes from his bag. Luckily, they weren't wet._

"_So how's the pokemon?"She asked. The trio turned towards the Hoenn trainer._

_But before Ruby could say anything, __Nurse Joy came over to them with a sweet smile._"_I can answer that question for you." The trainers turned towards her. _

_"The Kirlia is doing pretty well but he's still unconscious. You can go see him if you want." She said.  
_

'_He? So the Kirlia's a male." The four trainers had the same thing in mind._

_The pink-haired Nurse led them to a room. Inside the Kirlia was sleeping peacefully. But something caught their eye. In the gym battle at Veilstone City, Ruby used Ruru. His Kirlia had green colored hair and legs but the one inside the room was blue. Before, it was not noticeable under the dirt and rain. _

_The sight of the beautiful cerulean hue made Ruby remember the eyes of a certain brown-haired wild girl. They were as light as the vast sky but as deep and cool as the ocean itself._

* * *

Ruru began to stir in her pokeball. Curiously, the crimson eyed boy sat up and took out her pokeball from his belt. He placed it next to Zaffiro's. "What is it Ruru?"

The two Kirlia evolutions glanced at each other and stared back at him. They seemed to have something in mind regarding his topic on confessing. Ruby did not like where they were going with this. He raised a brow. "You guys wanna help me out with the confession?"

The two pokemon nodded eagerly.

*Sweat drop* _Oh, great. _"No thank you… I don't want advice from a couple of pokemon who can talk to each other telepathically." He said with a hint of sarcasm. It was a let down for Ruru and Zaffiro.

Ruby took out the rest of his team and set them on the mat. These past few days, they've had this knack to drag their trainer into trouble. Although their intentions were good, Ruby wasn't pleased with it. "I'll find a way on my own." He said to them.

* * *

Platina couldn't get any reception due to the storm. She felt disappointed. She just wished that the two were fine and getting along_._

* * *

Meanwhile, Sapphire was gripping the pokegear in her hands. She fought back the tears. When she called, there was no answer but now she couldn't reach him at all. It was mortifying. _Ruby, what happened to you? _

It was dim in her room. She could hear the rain and wind beating against her window. She placed the pokegear on the desk and went closer to see for herself. The storm was not showing signs of letting up anytime soon.

Suddenly, a dark shadow flew passed her window. She could hear a loud squawk and the strong beating of wings.

"Ruvi?"

Sapphire ran downstairs and opened the door. She was surprised to see Ruby's father wearing a black raincoat and standing outside her house with his Staraptor. It was rare for him to come especially around this time when he still has duties at Petalburg.

"Mr. Norman? What are you doing here? Is Ruby alright?" The azure-eyed girl asked.

The Gym leader's face was serious. "Ruby's not feeling well. He's at your secret base and I need your help to get him."

Without a second thought, Sapphire went back in and grabbed her raincoat and before bolting out the door. Norman was already riding on Ruvi's back. The Staraptor lowered himself and the girl hopped on. The two trainers held on tightly to the strap on the saddle.

The large hawk pokemon spread its massive wings and took to the skies. It was hard flying in the rain but with Ruvi's strength, it managed to push through. The two on its back also found it difficult with the heavy rain and strong wind beat against their face. They endured it for the sake of the person they both held dear.

Sapphire clutched her scarf. Determination shone in her clear blue eyes. _Ruby, we're coming for you._

* * *

Ruby, on the other hand, was still lying on the mat. He could hear the storm continuing to rage outside especially the rumbling of thunder. He noticed one of the pokeball moving about. He sat up and held it in his hand.

"Nene? What's the matter?" He asked when he saw the Finneon was trembling inside her pokeball.

Lightning continued to strike down. The loud noise that followed made Nene even more frightened.

Ruby stood up and took her near the entrance of the cavern. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Nene." He ignored the chilliness in the air. His priority was calming the little fish pokemon. "With your Swift Swim ability, you're supposed to like weather such as this." He showed her the water pouring down from the sky.

Nene was beginning to calm down when all of a sudden, lightning struck really close. The two flinched. The bright flash blinded them for a second. And in that moment, the pokeball slipped out of Ruby's hand.

"Nene!"

He desperately tried to reach for it but the entrance was more slippery than he thought. They both fell out of the cavern and vanished in the darkness of the rain.

* * *

**End of Chapter 18  
**

***phew* That was a fast revise. I was napping and I got the idea in my head.  
There are changes due to Norman and Nene. The Flashback is the same.  
It's more or less the same. Just none of that predictable misunderstanding stuff.**

**Congrats and Thanks to the mystery person who said it was Norman! Hahaha... XD**

**At least now I can give Nene a bigger role than just hatching out of an egg.**

**So tell me what you think now? ^_^ Review!  
**

**Previous notes: Zaffiro is italian for Sapphire. I stumbled upon it when I was looking for gems. His story will continue as planned in the next chapter.  
**


	19. We Promise

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 19: We Promise**

* * *

_NOTE: There were changes to Chapter 18 before. Those who have not read the changed version with Norman and Nene might be confused. I just changed a few things. Most of it is the same._

* * *

The storm continued to rage on. The trees swayed back and forth in the howling wind. Lighting flashed throughout the land and sky. The streams were flooding and the water currents became violent. By the looks of things, it was getting dangerous in the forest.

The rain made it hard for them to travel but under Sapphire's guidance, they finally reached the secret base.

"We're here." Sapphire gestured to the opening at the side of the cliff. It was quite well-hidden. It wasn't visible in the distance due to the tall trees plants growing near it.

The Staraptor flew nearer to the entrance. When it got close enough, Norman jump off and rushed inside the cavern. He ignored the varied collection of decors in the room and proceeded to search for his son. He noticed his backpack just around the corner.

"Ruby!" He called out as he went through each of the two other rooms. He checked the inside of the tent but it was empty. With each passing moment, he grew even more worried. He clenched his fists and slammed it on the side of the wall, cracking it. _Damn it. Where did he go? I told him to wait here._

Ruvi flew off and roosted on a nearby tree which was large and sturdy enough to support him after Sapphire dismounted.

The brunette quickly scanned the room. Her sky blue eyes noticed red and white spheres lying on the mat. She went over and found Ruby's pokegear and pokemon.

"He wouldn't just leave them behind." It gave her more reason to be concerned about him. There were only three pokemon left; Zuzu, Mimi and Nana. All of them looked really anxious.

"What happened to Ruby?" Sapphire asked. She felt her heart racing in fear.

The pokemon gestured to the mat. The brown-haired girl discovered shattered pieces of a pokeball. She used her strong senses to discern them and found out they were Zaffiro's and Ruru's. And she estimated that the pokeballs were broken maybe an hour or half ago using the Gallade's blade attacks.

Sapphire released Nana to find more clues. The black wolf pokemon tugged her clothes and gestured to the outside. Its eyes looked really upset and concerned. The girl's fears grew. "Ya mean Ruby's outside in the storm?" She didn't want to realize that possibility.

She could hear the lighting crashing down and the relentless pouring of rain. Out there, light was dwindling. It was getting really dark. It was dangerous for anyone to be out there.

"He's not here." Norman declared as he went back to the main room. His eyebrows were furrowed and his hand grasped tightly the bag that Ruby left behind.

Sapphire ran up to him with Nana at her heels. She told him what she found out. The Gym leader ran back to the opening of the cavern and whistled for his Staraptor. Ruvi heard it even in the rain and flew over.

The brunette returned Nana to her pokeball and placed her along with the other two in her bag. Then she and Norman got on the Staraptor's back and flew back to the forest to search for Ruby.

* * *

Meanwhile, Zaffiro and Ruru were rushing through the forest, following the violent river. The Gardevoir was not as agile as her companion but she persevered for her trainer's sake. The Gallade was as nimble as a ninja but he stopped from time to time to help Ruru out. It would have been easier and faster for Zaffiro to go alone but Ruru was more capable of finding Ruby's location because she can pick up emotions better than a Gallade.

Earlier, Ruru sensed what happened to Ruby and Nene. With Zaffiro's help they managed to break free from their pokeballs. The others wanted to come but it would prove difficult for them given they felt they needed to hurry and help their trainer. They decided to wait for help while the two would go after Ruby.

The Kirlia evolutions came out of the cavern and searched for him. The terrain was very slick due to the mud. Ruru could have slipped if not for Zaffiro. They found a trail of broken branches along a muddy slope which leads to the brown raging river. The Gardevoir's red horns on its chest began to glow. It was indeed as they feared. Ruby was swept away by the strong river currents after he fell in.

Now they're fighting against time under the harsh storm to find their trainer. Ruru felt Zaffiro's uneasiness. She knew it wasn't just because of Ruby. It was the rain. Zaffiro never liked it. For him, it brings back awful memories.

* * *

_Being born a differently colored Ralts, one may find it lonesome even under the care of kind parents. Everyone else seemed to belong to the group. The other Ralts and Kirlias were friendly enough but one can't help but feel a little different. A little out of place._

_Time passed. The Ralts evolved into a Kirlia. It had gotten used to being unique among its peers. The blue shade of its hair and legs were no longer a bother for him. His amber eyes glowed with determination and optimism. Being different didn't matter anymore. _

_Until that rainy day…._

_Humans came to their nesting grounds. They sent out dark type and bug type pokemon. There were those who fought against them but either defeated or caught. It was a tough battle for the Psychic pokemons, having the type disadvantage. There was little choice but to teleport away._

_The blue Kirlia was about to teleport when he saw one of his friends cornered by a Drapion. The scorpion-like pokemon was about to use Poison sting when the azure-colored emotion pokemon intervened and distracted it with Double team. It already saw how useless psychic attacks were. Because of his actions, the other Kirlia managed teleport away_

"_Hey, there's a Shiny one!" one of the humans shouted. It alerted the rest of his comrades. They quickly cornered the blue Kirlia. _

_The shiny pokemon could sense their thoughts and emotions. Greed. The Kirlia shuddered at the dark feeling but it remained unafraid in the face of the intruders. Teleport was the only option but a Crobat used Mean Look on him, preventing his escape. Everything else that followed was a blur._

_When it woke up, it found itself in a cage along with other captured pokemon. There were Drifloons, Gibles, Chatots, and many others. Each of them looked afraid. None of them knew what would happen to them. The human with the Crobat stood guard over them. The pitter pattering sound could be heard outside. _

'_It's still raining.' The blue Kirlia thought as he huddled inside the cage to ward off the coldness in the air._

_He still picked up the greediness in the hearts of the people around him. One by one, the pokemon in the cages were being sold. Soon it was the Kirlia's turn. It didn't want anything to do with humans. He planned to escape._

_When he saw his chance, he used Confusion to knock out the Crobat. Then he released the remaining pokemon from their cages. It was a chaotic struggle but he managed to use the last of his strength to teleport. _

_It didn't know where it was going but any place away from there was better. Its injuries proved severe. Any remaining strength was being sapped by the cold rain. Everything went black. It fell unconscious in an unknown place._

* * *

Zaffiro's pace grew faster. He wanted to find his trainer and get out of the rain. But then Ruru stopped him and held on to his arm which calmed him down immediately. They were in a hurry but it was dangerous to be dazed or to act rashly. The Gardevoir was worried about him. Her beautiful red eyes stared deep into his. Zaffiro placed a hand over hers.

_It's going to be alright… I promise._ He transferred his thoughts to her. Those were the exact words his trainer once said to him on the day he first met him and Ruru.

* * *

_When it woke up again, the pain it felt before was gone. Its blurred vision was slowly clearing up. It identified four humans standing near it. He could hear them talking. His hate of humans burned in him. It stood up and its deep amber eyes glowed._

_Before the trainers could react, they felt an invisible force pushing and pinning them against the wall._

"_Hey! What's the matter with that Kirlia?!" The boy will the blonde hair tried to fight against the force but it was no use. "I thought you said they're very peaceful pokemon."_

"_I don't know what's wrong but we need to do something." A black haired girl felt the pressure becoming stronger._

"_Ruby, do have any ideas?" The trainer wearing a red beret looked over to his companion with a white hat._

_The blue Kirlia's eyes were fierce and filled with resentment.  
_

_The crimson-eyed trainer had a plan. He reached for his pokeball with all his might. The strain of moving was almost unbearable but he managed to grab the red and white sphere and tossed it near the hostile pokemon._

_The pokeball opened up and a red flash came out. The cerulean pokemon eyed its potential opponent. It was ready to attack when the red light formed into a graceful green and white pokemon with mesmerizing scarlet eyes. It was another Kirlia._

_The green-haired Kirlia twirled around before facing him. She slowly walked over with a soothing presence surrounding her. Her smile was gentle and serene. She didn't look like she wanted to fight._

_The blue Kirlia just froze. It didn't know what to do in that situation. It hated humans but he couldn't hurt his own kind. Plus, he felt something about that Kirlia unlike any emotion he detected or felt before. _

_Ruby's Kirlia stopped in front of the blue emotion pokemon. She placed her hands over his and calmly held them._

_'No need to be afraid.' She said telepathically.  
_

_The male Kirlia's eyes went back to normal and the trainers were released from the force that was holding them._

_Platina managed to land on the soft couch that was against the wall. The boys, however, weren't as lucky as they fell hard on the floor with a loud thud._

"_Dia, you okay?" Pearl rubbed the aching parts of his body as he looked over to his manzai partner_

"_I'm Poke-aay…." Diamond's head was swaying back in forth with pokeballs in his eyes._

_Ruby slowly got up, groaning from the fall. _

_Ruru let go of the other Kirlia's hands and rushed over to her trainer. The sight was shocking to the shiny pokemon which made him jolt out of his daze._

"_I'm alright, Ruru." The crimson-eyed trainer patted his Kirlia's head which made her smile happily._

_The cerulean pokemon did not know what to do. It just stood there, observing them. 'They aren't like the others.' He thought. Still he was hesitant in trusting humans._

_Ruru glanced sideways at the blue Kirlia who was staring at them. Then she tugged Ruby's sleeve and pulled him closer to the other pokemon._

_The male Kirlia backed away a little but Ruru held his hand again which made his mind go blank. He snapped out of it when he realized the crimson-eyed boy was the one holding his hand now. He wanted to jerk it off but…_

_Ruby smiled the same way the female Kirlia did. "It's alright now. We won't hurt you…. I promise."_

_His voice echoed through the pokemon's mind. It was familiar in a sort of comforting way. Then he realized. 'He was the one… that saved me …from the rain.'_

* * *

The two pokemon continued with their search. Ruru's horns were glowing even brighter. They were getting close. Zaffiro was determined to save Ruby the same way he did for him._ It's going to be alright…_ He glanced back at Ruru and squeezed her hand. …_We promise._

* * *

**End of Chapter 19**

**I got my needed sleep. My creativity seems to be doing fine now. **

**I love Zaffiro's story. Love at first sight with Ruru.. XD**

**Review! Any suggestions or weird comments are welcome! **

**Thanks for all the criticism. I really appreciate it. It just means that people expect bigger things in the fanfic. **


	20. Hope for Tomorrow

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Hope for Tomorrow**

* * *

The raging rapids thrashed them around violently. Ruby managed to release his Finneon before they hit the river. He was bobbing in and out, desperately trying not to drown. His signature white hat was lost along the way. The small wing fish pokemon did its best to help its trainer stay above the water. Luckily, Nene's Swift swim ability gave her a much needed speed to make up for her lack of power. The momentum she gained was enough to let her do her job.

Ruby had barely enough stamina to stay awake. The cold muddy waters were eating away his remaining strength. His eyesight was getting blurry and he could feel his body growing weaker by the second. He forced himself to stay conscious as long as possible. It was a dire situation. All he could do was rely on Nene.

The Finneon spotted a fork in the river. There were two ways. Which way it chose would determine their chances for safety. Left or right? Nene felt desperate. She wanted to save her trainer – to save the person who raised her.

* * *

_The four trainers in Sinnoh were leaving the lake after Ruby was given a special gift. The elder woman saw how enthusiastic the young boy was at the sight of the shimmering butterfly fish pokemon. She decided that he would be a fine caretaker for a baby Finneon._

"_Wasn't that nice of the old lady to give you an egg?" Diamond said._

"_Yeah. It was because Ruby wouldn't shut up on how 'Beautiful' the Finneon and Lumineon were." Pearl was being sarcastic again but in a friendlier way._

_Platina walked up to the Hoenn trainer who was smiling contentedly as he cradled the egg in his arms. _

"_Ruby, why are you carrying the egg around? Wouldn't it be easier to place it in the incubator?" She asked._

"_You see, I have a senior who's good at pokemon breeding. One of the eggs he hatched picked up some of his… 'bad' traits because he brought the egg around casinos and stuff." Ruby explained. He was referring to Gold's naughty Togepi which evolved into a Togetic. He didn't want his little pokemon to grow up like that. "So I'm going to raise my beautiful Finneon with love and care so it won't end up like his."_

_Ruby wrapped the egg around a blue water themed muffler and gently held it in his arms._

_Pearl chuckled at the sight. "You look more like a Mommy than a Daddy."_

_The crimson-eyed boy ignored him. He knew he spent five years without the guidance of a father but that didn't matter to him anymore. He knew how much his dad truly cared for him._

"_What are you going to call it? You named the Kirlia you got, Zaffiro." Platina was curious to what he or she would be called._

_Ruby smiled at the egg and gently rubbed its side. "If it's a girl, then I'll name her…."_

* * *

"Nene…" Ruby looked over to his pokemon. His eyes weakly focused on his little companion.

The fork was coming up. The Finneon decided.

Left.

It mustered all its strength and pushed through the water current. Ruby held on with what little energy he had left. They managed to make it. That side was less rocky and shallower but it the rapids were still intense. The river went downhill and led deeper into the thicker parts of the forest. They drifted further in.

After sometime, they ended up in a lake. The water was calmer. The dense foliage shielded the area from most of the rainfall. Nene led Ruby to the shore where he held on to the dry land. Both were exhausted. The Finneon was relieved. She chose the right way and managed to get her and her trainer to safety.

She nudged Ruby, hoping to hear some praise from him. Nene was always happy when Ruby praised her for the little things she had done. But there was no response.

Nene was getting worried. She nudged her trainer some more but then she stopped when she heard shallow breathing. She noticed Ruby was shivering. He had lost consciousness. Half of his body was still submerged in the cold waters. Nene didn't know what to do. She felt helpless. It was getting dark and the light was slowly disappearing. Night was approaching.

* * *

In the skies, Norman and Sapphire were still searching the forest for any signs of Ruby. The storm was letting up but still it continued to rain. It was getting harder to see in the dim light. They had no means to find out where he was. Nana can't track him down because of the weather and Ruru was missing. The chilling wind was also a hindrance for them. But they kept going.

All of a sudden, something caught Ruvi's eye. He dove down for a closer look. Some hope flickered in the two trainer's eyes. The Staraptor picked up something that was caught by a plant beside the river and handed it over to his trainer.

It was Ruby's hat. Norman held it in his hand. The hat was torn and covered in mud. He felt as if everything stopped for a moment. "Ruby…"

Sapphire was on the verge of tears. She knew something bad had happened to him. Her hands started to tremble. But she snapped out of her sorrow when the Gym leader looked back at her.

"We have to keep looking." Norman's eyes were fierce and determined. Not a sliver of hopelessness could be seen.

Sapphire nodded. This is was not the time to give up, now they had a lead. The river.

Norman instructed to Ruvi followed the long muddy channel. The Staraptor followed. It flew above the water, scanning for any more clues.

* * *

Meanwhile, Nene was trying to wake her trainer but it was useless. She couldn't get him out of the water either. His fever was getting worse. The shivering and labored breathing didn't stop.

She was alone and scared. Ruby was the one she usually relied on when things go bad but not this time. Her trainer was the one that needed help and she felt completely powerless.

All of a sudden there was rustling in the bushes. Nene had a bad feeling. She cautiously glanced at the shadowy forest. Several pairs of blood red eyes peered through the darkness which made the Finneon shudder. Their growls sounded like thunder rumbling. The dark figures came closer. Nene recognized the kind of pokemon. They were the same as Ruby's other pokemon, Nana. But they looked more aggressive.

Nene hurriedly hid beside her trainer. There was nothing she could do. She knew that she didn't have the power to fight them off on her own. She blamed herself for being weak and unable to protect her precious trainer.

"_Nene? What's the matter?" _The Finneon jolted at the voice resounding in her memory.

"_There's nothing to be afraid of…" _The kind and encouraging voice lifted up her spirits.

Nene came out of hiding and glared at the incoming enemies. She was resolved to defend Ruby with all she got. No matter what the odds were.

One of the black wolf pokemon lunged at them with its fangs and claws bared. Nene jumped out of the water and fired a Water gun at it, pushing the opponent back. Another Mightyena attacked from the side but Nene saw it in time. She spun around and created a strong Gust of wind before splashing back into the water. The wolf pokemon was knocked against a tree but it stood up again with fury gleaming in its eyes.

Nene's heart was racing. The pack of Mightyena circled around them, preparing to attack. There were at least four. The Finneon waited anxiously for their next move. The two in front charged forward. Nene swan quickly to the side and leaped out of the water. It launched a Water Pulse. The circular streams of water struck one of the Mightyena, slamming it to the second one.

Another black wolf pokemon came out from the shadows and tackled the Finneon to the ground. Before Nene could recover from the blow and jump back into the water, a Mightyena pounced on her. Its sharp claws pierced its small body. The Finneon let out a painful cry. Then its eyes saw the rest of the Mightyenas closing in on her trainer. She struggled to break free but it only made the pain worsen. She tried calling out to Ruby but he was still unconscious. The situation was critical. Still, Nene wouldn't give up. She made her whole body shine brightly. The Flash temporarily blinded the pack. It was all she could do.

The light began to fade. The Mightyena began to recover their vision. Nene watched helplessly, having used up all that energy in helping Ruby in the strong current as well as the battle.

Just then a tall figure came out of nowhere and dealt swift blows to the three Mighyenas surrounding Ruby, knocking them back to the shadows. It followed up with another attack to the black wolf pokemon that was pinning down Nene.

Everything became clearer. It was Zaffiro standing in front of the injured Finneon. He was followed by Ruru who went over to Ruby and finally pulled him out of the water. Nene was happy that they made it in time and that she managed to hold out till they did.

Zaffiro gently scooped her up and gave her a proud look. _You did well, Nene. Ruby would be proud as well. _He told her telepathically.

The Gallade came over to Ruru who was sitting on the ground, supporting Ruby in her arms. Their trainer was still shivering. Ruru's face was filled with worry as she placed a hand on his forehead. He was burning up.

Zaffiro heard growling. The Mightyenas came back, angrier than before. The Gallade placed Nene back into the water to face the approaching pack. Ruru held her trainer closer to her as Zaffiro stood protectively in front of them.

The furious wolf pokemon charged all at once, baring their sharp teeth and claws. Zaffiro lunged towards them. His orange eyes didn't show any fear as fought them off with tremendous speed. The Gallade used Close Combat, landing hit after hit with skill and dexterity. The Mightyenas managed to find openings and sunk their teeth and claws into Zaffiro. The Blade pokemon winced at the pain but it only made him faster and more determined to defeat them.

The battle ended with the Mightyena pack retreating back into the dense forest. Zaffiro stood there panting and seriously wounded. Ruru wanted to come over but she couldn't leave Ruby and Nene.

The Gallade shrugged off the pain and came over to his companions. He knelt down beside them and took a moment to catch his breath. Ruru reached out and touched his cheek. Her scarlet eyes were welling up with tears. Zaffiro placed his hand on hers.

They were interrupted when Ruby began to stir. He looked like he was in pain. His pokemon knew they needed to get themselves to a more secure location. Ruru made a small Light screen sphere filled with water to hold Nene. Zaffiro carried Ruby even when Ruru was against it. The blade pokemon was stubborn. He showed no signs of how injured or tired he really was. But Ruru knew all too well.

They went deeper into the forest. Nene shone a bit of light to help guide the way. Her butterfly shaped fins glowed in the darkness. Ruru picked a few berries that they could eat and recover later on. Zaffiro lead the way cautiously. There was no telling what other pokemon hid in the shadows.

Eventually they reached a clearing and saw a cave opening at the side of a mountain. All of them felt relieved. Ruru found a small crater that was collecting water from the cave. It was the perfect place to set Nene. Zaffiro gently placed Ruby on a bed of leaves that Ruru quickly gathered.

Darkness finally settled in. The rain had stopped. It was nighttime but not a single star came out. The moon has shining hazily behind the clouds. Zaffiro and Nene ate some of the berries that were collected on the way while Ruru tended to Ruby who was still shaking and unresponsive. The atmosphere was cold and damp. The Finneon's glow was their only source of light. None of them knew any fire moves to warm themselves. Any wood from outside would still be wet. There was very little option.

Zaffiro sat down at the mouth of the cave to stand guard. Outside was pitch-black. He could hear noises in the forest but none came any closer. Still he remained vigilant. Nene stayed half-awake so she could continue lighting the cave. Her eyelids felt heavy but she fought the drowsiness. Ruru held Ruby close and wrapped her arms around him, hoping to warm her trainer as much as she could. Then she leaned her head against his and sent peaceful thoughts to his mind. The boy's shivering was lessened and his breathing was calm but his fever didn't go away. It frightened Ruru to see her trainer in that state. She could only pray that they will make it through this.

* * *

Norman and Sapphire stopped their search. It was too dark to go on. They found a large strong tree to settle in. Ruvi roosted on a thick sturdy branch with the two trainers resting beneath his wings. Sapphire was tired but she couldn't sleep knowing Ruby was out there. Norman phoned his wife about the situation. Caroline was in tears. Her panicky voice and sobs could be heard over the phone. Prof. Birch was there with her. He tried to calm her down.

"I'll find him." Norman reassured her.

Caroline sat down at the couch to regain her composure and gave the phone to Birch.

"Norman, take care of Sapphire as well."

The Gym leader looked over to the young brunette. There were tear stains beneath her eyes. She had cried herself to sleep. Her head rested on the Staraptor's feathery side. Norman wasn't sure if he made the right choice bringing her along but he knew he needed her help and that she also wants to find Ruby.

"You can count on it." He replied. Then he ended the call.

Water droplets fell from the leaves and branches. The forest wind blew all around. Ruvi spread his wings more and shielded them from the chilly air as Norman gazed at the moon hidden behind the mist of clouds.

"Ruby, I'll find you for sure." He promised himself as he drifted off to sleep with hope for tomorrow.

* * *

**End of Chapter 20  
**

**wow. Chapter 20 already for this fanfic? It's almost a month old too...**

**It took me little harder to get the details right but I hope it's good enough.  
I still can't place a finger on Pokemon logic though like A Pidgey can use fly so why not? :)**

**Nene's name I got from Finneon just like what Ruby did for his pokemon.  
I did a bit of digging up. It actually means 'Baby' in Portuguese. (Wow. how fitting) It can also mean Calm or Tranquil but what made me laugh is that the name is a Hawaiian Goose...**

**I mostly just think of the stuff as I go along. The story is pretty random if you ask me. I'll brainstorm in my nap or twist my reviewer's suggestions or ideas. (Feel free to say something. I "might" add it to the story.)**

**Anomnomnomymous - I did say I welcome weird comments but I found your review weird in a different way. You reminded me of my cousin.. Hahaha... XD**

**So thanks to all my readers and reviewers! (JY hasn't come back. I guess he/she really thought it was finished.)**

**Please continue to support this story! =D**


	21. Shadow from the Past

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Shadow from the Past**

* * *

Light began to seep out of the horizon. Little by little, a soft orange hue colored the dull cloudy sky. The dew on the leaves and branches glistened in the radiance. The pokemon began to scurry out of their hiding place to greet the morning.

Norman and Sapphire continued their search. They were eating berries that Sapphire had gathered earlier. She knew they needed the strength to find Ruby. The flowing river was calmer than yesterday but there were still mud and broken branches being carried away by the water current. Ruvi flew in closer, following the channel's path.

The Staraptor stopped when they came across a fork in the river; one lead deeper into the forest while the other just stretched farther into the distance. They didn't find any more clues earlier that would help them.

"Which way should we take?" Norman pondered. If they chose the wrong way, it could lead to dire consequences. They didn't want to risk any chances of that happening.

Sapphire stared at the river. Her azure eyes focused intently at the two paths. The sound of the rushing water resonated through her mind. There was a deep sense of resolve in her face as she held her dark-ocean colored scarf. She took a deep breath.

"That way..."

* * *

At the cave, everyone but Zaffiro was asleep. His steely gaze never left the forest. Nene passed out sometime during the night so he had to make do with the light from the hazy moon. Ruru was still asleep with Ruby in her arms.

The sound of droplets falling from the stalactites echoed inside the cold damp cavern. The warm morning breeze came in and gradually erased the chilliness that came in the night.

Moments later, Ruru opened her deep scarlet eyes. She blinked a couple of times and yawned softly. Her arms felt the weight of the young boy sleeping against her. Her eyes softened as she stroked the hair on his head. Zaffiro glanced at her direction and smiled. She looked like a mother caring for a child.

The Gardevoir caught him staring and blushed. Zaffiro quickly returned to watching the outside while hiding the reddish hue forming across his face. Nene woke up abruptly. She realized she had fallen asleep and began to panic. The two psychic pokemons laughed.

Then their attention turned to Ruby who was beginning to wake up. Everyone's face lit up as their trainer's eyes opened weakly. He slowly adjusted to the light coming from the opening of the cave. His face was pale and his crimson red orbs still lacked the luster they once had. Ruru supported his head as his eyesight began to clear up.

"..Ru..ru?" His tone was hoarse and his vision was hazy but Ruby somewhat recognized the face of his pokemon. He wanted to sit up but his body felt heavy as lead and as cold as ice. Instead he leaned closer to his Gardevoir and shivered. His fever was getting worse.

Ruru's face darkened and she fussed over her trainer. Nene splashed around worriedly. Zaffiro stood up to come over but then he heard loud noises coming from outside. His eyes sharpened. He had a bad feeling of what was coming. Even Ruru felt the same. The trees outside shook and the Tailows quickly fled from the area.

Zaffiro's arms glowed blue and formed into blades as he turned his attention to impending entity. Ruru and Nene tried to stop him but he ignored them. He knew he wasn't fully recovered and that the enemy was strong. Still he needed to protect them.

Ruby tried to keep his eyes open. He knew something was wrong. He wanted to stop him but all he could do was watch the blurry image of his Gallade's back disappearing into the light.

* * *

Sapphire had chosen left. Before in Mirage Island, Juan, Wallace's master, told her that she had very good intuition. It was that reason she trusted herself to choose the right way. The channel entered the forest. It was hard to see where the river led with the dense foliage covering it. There was no choice but to walk. Norman returned Ruvi to his pokeball. Little sunlight seeped through the treetops. Toro came out of her pokeball to help light their way. The flame on the Blaziken's claw acted like a torch.

Eventually, they came across a lake. It was small and quiet.

Sapphire scanned their surroundings. There was nothing there. She began to doubt herself. Her hands trembled. _Did I choose the wrong way? It can't be… Ruby.. I—_

"Over here!" Norman gestured her as he crouched down at the side of the lake.

Toro and Sapphire came over for a closer look.

The Gym leader gestured to a small area at the edge of the lake. The ground had subsided as if there used to be something that weighed it down. Sapphire took Nana out and the black wolf pokemon sniffed the spot. Her eyes widen and her tail began to wag. She looked back at them and barked.

Sapphire felt a huge burden lifted off of her shoulders. She was right and Ruby could be somewhere nearby.

Norman looked around for further clues. But the next signs he found weren't good. There were claw marks and other traces that a battle had occurred. He clenched his fists and hoped nothing bad had happened to his son.

Sapphire ran towards Norman to see if he found more leads. But all of a sudden, they heard a loud rumbling sound followed by a bright flash of light at the end of the forest. The Gym leader sent out Ruvi again and mounted on his back. Sapphire returned Toro and Nana to their pokeballs and joined him.

Ruvi quickly shot out of the forest and flew to the direction the commotion came from. They reached a clearing at a base of a mountain. Sapphire and Norman saw two figures in the middle. The girl's heart raced when she realized who they were. It was Ruru and Zaffiro. The Gallade was lying on the ground, wounded and unconscious and beside him was Ruru who was injured but still able to stand.

"Ruru!" Sapphire called out to her as they flew in closer.

The Gardevoir jolted at the voice and looked up but her eyes filled with horror at the sight.

"_Behind you!"_ She hastily sent a telepathic message to their minds.

They looked back and saw a large shadow closing in on them. Ruvi instinctively turned around and locked claws with the enemy, preventing it from reaching the trainers on his back. Norman grabbed Sapphire and jumped off. He wrapped his arms around her protectively as they fell from the sky. Ruru used whatever psychic energy she could still muster to break their fall. The two hit the ground with minor bruises. Afterwards, the Gardevoir collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

"Ruru!" Sapphire got up in a hurry to run to her but she stopped at the sound of a terrifying roar. She and Norman turned to towards the unknown entity that attacked them.

It had a blue reptilian body with a white armored underbelly. Its massive red wings beat like war drums as it glared ferociously with cold merciless eyes.

Sapphire's eyes widened. She knew what it was. "A Salamence."

The vicious dragon pokemon was locked in an aerial battle with Norman's Staraptor. Ruvi struggled to push it back but it proved too strong. Then the Salamence's mouth began to well up with flames.

"Ruvi get out of there!" Norman shouted. But the dragon pokemon held on tightly to the bird pokemon so it wouldn't escape. The Staraptor received the full force of the Fire blast before plunging to the ground. Norman rushed to its side as it tried to stand up again.

The Salamence dove in to finish it off but it saw a red-orange figure heading directly towards it. The blue dragon reacted quickly and moved out of the way. Its sharp eyes glared at the new enemy. It was a tall beaked pokemon with flaming claws that burned vibrantly as it charged its opponent, drawing it away from the injured Staraptor.

"Great job, Toro!" Sapphire cheered.

Norman reached Ruvi. The Staraptor's feathers were singed badly and it was terribly shaken up by the fall. Norman returned it to its pokeball to rest. He was about to take out another pokemon when he saw something at the corner of his eye.

"Zaff…Ru..ru…" The Ruby had enough watching his two pokemon getting hurt in front of him. He staggered to stay on his feet at the cave's entrance as his hand leaned on the sides for support. He was already using up a lot of energy just to stay conscious.

The Salamence's attention shifted towards him. Toro tried to draw it back but was struck hard with Dragon Tail, sending the blaze pokemon crashing to the trees. The violent dragon dove towards the cave with fangs and claws, bared.

"RUBY!" Norman and Sapphire shouted in unison. Fear filled their eyes as they watched the Salamence closing in.

Ruby could barely move. He could hear his father and Sapphire calling his name as they ran towards him. The vicious pokemon was a few feet away when Nene jumped in at the last moment and released a blinding Flash, startling the blue dragon pokemon. Everyone flinched and covered their eyes at the sudden burst of light.

The shaken up Salamence backed up and thrashed around, releasing random balls of fire from its mouth; some hitting cave, barely missing the boy. The cavern walls shook and the ceiling began to crumble.

"Ne-ne..." Ruby called his Finneon. The wing fish pokemon jumped into his arms. Then he retreated further into the cave. He stumbled with every step but he did his best to remain steady until they were a good distance away from the entrance.

"Rono!" Sapphire sent out her Aggron. The iron armor pokemon charged and tackled the Salamence away from the opening of the cave. Norman rushed inside, dodging the falling debris. His heart rate quicken as his eyes desperately scanned the surroundings. Moments later, he found his son collapsed at the side of the wall with Nene squirming in his arm as she urged the boy to stand up.

"It's going to be alright." Norman calmed the Finneon before placing it in an extra pokeball. Then he quickly carried Ruby and ran out of the cave.

The Salamence was still dazed as Rono held it down with its massive armored body. Toro came back and assisted in pinning down the out-of-control dragon.

Norman came out with Ruby. He carefully placed him on the ground with his arm supporting the boy's head and knelt down at his side.

Sapphire approached them. Her eyes were filled with concern when she saw him. "…Ruby?"

She bent down beside him. Her hand trembled as she touched his pale cheek. His skin was cold and she could feel him shiver. His breathing was shallow and he had a pained expression on his face. It was hard to believe that this was the same person sleeping peacefully yesterday morning.

Norman took off his coat and wrapped it around his son. It was an agonizing to see him in that weakened state. Ruby needed to be taken to the hospital as soon as possible but there was one more thing to deal with…

The Salamence had enough. It let out a deafening roar as it spread its enormous wings and thrust itself back into the sky with Toro and Rono on its back.

Sapphire watched in terror as her two pokemon were unbelievably carried off. "Toro! Rono!"

Once it was in mid-air, the dragon spun wildly, throwing the heavy Aggron off. The force of the impact, made the earth tremble. Toro clutched her claws tightly on the dragon's wing. The Salamence grew irritated. It flew across the sky at tremendous speed and attempted to shake off the Blaziken but Toro proved to be stubborn and unyielding.

Ruby opened his eyes faintly. His body felt numb and everything was hazy. He saw two figures beside him; one was standing, gazing at the sky while the other was closer with a sort of familiar scent and warmth.

"…D-ad?"

Norman jolted at the almost inaudible voice. His attention shifted to the boy that lay on his arm. Seeing him conscious brought a sense of relief.

"Just hang in there a little longer." He reassured him. _We have to finish off the Salamence first. Ruvi can't fly very fast in his current condition._

Sapphire also turned away for a moment. She looked at him with a smile saying _everything will turn out okay. _

"Don't ya worry Ruby… This time, I'll be the one ta protect ya." Her eyes flickered with optimism and determination.

Then the conviction turned into gentleness as she untied her scarf and wrapped it around Ruby's neck. "I want ya ta hold on ta this for me. Okay?"

Ruby replied with a weak smile and nodded. He wanted to reach out to her but his hand wouldn't move.

Sapphire turned towards Ruby's Gardevoir and Gallade who were passed out on the battle ground. The two did all they could to defend their trainer. It was dangerous for them to stay there any longer.

"Mr. Norman, I'll handle the Salamence. I need ya ta get Ruru and Zaffiro out of there."

Norman was against it but seeing the resolve shining in the girl's face made him think otherwise.

"Alright."

He sent out his Slaking to carry the two psychic pokemons before they moved to a safer location near the trees. Then he took out his Linoone to look for healing berries as well as some Rawst berries for Ruvi.

Sapphire ran towards her Aggron. Rono grit its teeth and gradually got back on his feet. He was shaken up by the impact but with some encouragement from his trainer, he was fired up and ready for battle. Toro was still hanging on to the Salamence. Her claws dug deeply into the blue dragon's wing. She saw Rono and Sapphire together. Her eyes sharpened and burned with unwavering resolve. Sapphire placed a hand on her Aggron's side. It was time to finish the struggle.

Sapphire recalled the time when she and Ruby were only five and how that day changed her. _I'm much stronger than I was back then. I can protect those whom I care about. I will defeat it._ _The shadow from the past._

* * *

**End of Chapter 21**

**I did this on my busy (sleepy) days again... It was done on the 27th but I had to add a few more details..**

**Tell me what you think? I have a few uncreative parts (I need my nap DX ) ... Suggestions & criticisms are welcome!  
**

**I already thought of a good ending! XD 1-2 more chapters left.**


	22. A Kiss?

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 22: A Kiss?**

* * *

_That time after the Salamence incident, Sapphire was sitting in a room, crying, as she waited for her father to come for her. Tears kept flowing from her eyes as her little hands covered course of events still weighed heavily within her and she still needed time to recover. Moments later, the professor rushed in and went over to comfort his daughter. His heart was filled with anxiety as he crouched down. He laid his hands__ gently on the girl's shoulders_ and looked up at the her face.  


"_My friend's wife told me what happened. Are you hurt?" _

_Sapphire kept her face concealed as she shook her head left and right. *hic*_

_Professor Birch was relieved. He wrapped his arms around her. "Thank Arceus that Norman's boy was there."_

_The face of the small boy flashed through the girl's thoughts. His fierce eyes and the blood that ran down the side of his head after the battle. Fear struck her heart at the memory. She clutched her father's lab coat and buried her face on his shoulder as she continued to sob. Professor Birch stroked the back of his daughter's head. He could feel her tremble. It was heartbreaking to see her like that. He could only imagine what a child her age must have felt in that situation. _

"_I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you..."_

_Sapphire stopped crying and thought for a moment. What if her father was there? Would he have gotten hurt the same way the boy did? _

_...Would he have gotten hurt because of her?_

_Because…_

…_she was too weak to protect herself…?_

_She didn't want that to happen but there was nothing she could do in her state. She was powerless. It haunted her. She felt she was a burden to those around her._

_Professor Birch noticed she stopped sobbing. He broke off from the embrace and placed a hand on his daughter's melancholic face. "Let's go home." He smiled at her warmly. "Tomorrow, I have a lot of field studies in Petalburg forest."_

_Sapphire eyes widen as she imagined her father surrounded by pokemon; 'wild pokemon' that could easily hurt him. She was terrified._

"_NO! I don't want papa to get hurt!" She protested. Tears began to fall from her eyes again. _

_Sapphire's father maintained his composure as he tried to calm her down. "Don't worry. I'll be careful." His eyes flickered with optimism. "Papa is strong enough to handle himself."_

'_Strong'… That word struck in her. Sapphire realized that was the answer she was looking for._

"…_I want… to be …strong."_

_Professor Birch was caught by surprise. "..What?"_

_The girl stared at him with serious determination. Something her father didn't expect to come from his gentle, sweet and docile angel._

"_I want to be strong." She repeated._

* * *

The Salamence continued to zoom across the sky with the Blaziken hanging on to its wing. Sapphire knew they needed to get the violent dragon to the ground or at least slow it down. It would be easier to use Ruby's Milotic, seeing that ice attacks are extremely effective against dragon types but she wanted to win with her own power.

"Rono get ready." She gestured to her Aggron. The large armored pokemon positioned itself near the mountain with a pile of large boulders by its side.

"Toro!Use Acrobatics! Aim for the wings!" Sapphire shouted instructions at her starter. Toro heard her and saw Rono looking back at her. She understood the plan. With her claws clutched on the dragon's wing, she raised her legs in the air almost like a hand stand and struck the middle of the wing with her knee at full force. The Salamence roared in pain but still continued to fly at high speed.

The blaze pokemon continued its flurry of agile blows, swiftly and skillfully alternating attacks on the enemy's wings while managing to hold on. The Salamence grew furious. It tried to spin around to shake off the pest on its back but it proved futile. Toro had no plans of being thrown off.

Finally, the Salamence felt the strain and damage in its wings. It was slowing down. Even its altitude has lowered. It was the moment Sapphire was waiting for.

"Rono, Smack Down!"

On cue, Rono hurled a boulder at the Salamence. Toro saw it coming and jumped off before the enormous rock landed safely on one of the trees before leaping down to open grassy field. The Salamence plunge to the ground but was still conscious.

"Rono, finish it off with Giga Impact!" Sapphire commanded.

The Aggron was enveloped by a purple sphere with vibrant orange streaks at it charged at the fallen Salamence. The vicious blue dragon was not willing to give up. It summoned all its remaining strength and launched a Hyper Beam.

The two powerful attacks clashed. It was followed a small shockwave which made the ground and trees shook. The both pokemons showed no signs of yielding. Neither side was winning or getting pushed back.

"Go for it, Rono!" Sapphire shouted.

The Aggron roared and increased its power. Its attack was gradually advancing. Soon it charged at full speed, repelling the brilliant orange beam that the Salamence released. In an instant, Rono hit the target and sent the dragon pokemon crashing into the trees, finally knocking it out.

Rono was out of breath. Sapphire and Toro came over with proud smiles

"Ya did it, Rono!" The azure-eyed trainer jumped on her Aggron's back. Rono was glad they won and that the battle was over.

Their little celebration was halted by the sound of beating wings. The trio turned and saw Ruvi landing next to them with Norman and Ruby on his back. The raven haired boy was unconscious and leaning against his father's chest. The other pokemon were placed back into pokeballs.

"We have to go now." Norman said. His stone face hid his concern for his son's current condition.

Sapphire nodded and hurriedly returned her two pokemon to their pokeballsbefore hopping unto the Staraptor's sat next to Norman who was holding his son securely in his arm while his other arm held on to the strap on the saddle. Luckily the saddle wasn't burnt. It was protected by Ruvi's thick plumage. Some of the front feathers were singed but nothing too severe.

The Staraptor spread its wings and took off into the air. They headed for Rustboro City Hospital. Ruby was still shivering. Sapphire looked at him worriedly. She saw the deep blue scarf she lent him fluttering in the wind. His father held him closer, shielding him from the cool forest breeze.

"We'll be there soon." He said calmly.

* * *

_The room was dark and a cold atmosphere loomed. A small boy sat on top of his bed with his knees against his chest and a blanket over his head. His arms were crossed and placed on top of his knees. The vibrancy in his crimson eyes was clouded by loneliness._

"_Daddy didn't come home again today…" He told three small creatures looking at him anxiously in front of his bed._

_The trio looked at each other. Then the grey pup jumped on the bed and tugged at the boy's clothes. Its golden eyes shone in the dark as it stared at him._

"_Not now Nana… I don't wanna play." The boy shrugged off the Poochyena and hid his face._

_Disappointed in her attempt, Nana returned to her two companions at the foot of the bed. They didn't know what else to do to help their trainer get out of his depression. _

_Sometime in the middle of the night, the three pokemon had fallen asleep while the boy remained awake in his current position in the dark room. Only the moonlight coming from his window made the place a little more visible._

_All of a sudden, something caught his eye. A flicker of light passed, by the window. Curiously, he got out of his bed and walked quietly towards the soft white sheet was still draped over his head. The long end trailed behind him, sliding across the floor. He cautiously peered through the window. The light passed by again and he saw it getting farther away._

"_..wait." He said softly as he opened the window. His pokemon stirred but remained asleep. He looked back at them before going out the window. Luckily, the house was a single-story._

_The cold night breeze filled the atmosphere. The boy wrapped the blanket around his body as he followed the mysterious light. He saw it go through the dark forest. Usually children his age would be afraid to go near some place especially at night but not him. He chased it without a second thought._

_The dark forest had an eerie feel about it. Shadows seemed to travel from every direction. Sounds of rustling and fluttering could be heard in the trees that stood tall almost covering the night sky. Few stars were visible, being close to the city. The moon's glow was the only source of light._

"_..Maybe I should have brought Nana, Coco or Ruru." The boy said to himself as he walked cautiously along the forest trail. The flicker had disappeared somewhere. He clutched the sheet around him. Now he was alone again._

_Before he could take another step, a loud rustling came from the bushes beside him. He backed up a bit and his eyes became fierce. In that moment he recalled his encounter with the Salamence and how his aggressiveness terrified his friend. He never wanted to experience that time ever again. His eyes returned to normal and were now filled with guilt. He no longer cared what would come out of the shadows._

_But what came out was something he didn't expect. It was a flock of Butterfrees dancing along and leaving a trail of Silver Wind. The purple butterflies paid no heed to their little onlooker as they passed in front of him. The boy awed at the sight. The pale glitter was like a stream of stars and the moonlit dance was graceful and elegant. The soft chatter of their voices blended into a playful chorus that brought a sense of life to the dark woodland._

_That wasn't all the forest had to offer. The boy looked around with eyes full of wonder as various pokemon sounds gradually filled the air like a symphony. Venonats jumped out of the shrubs, almost startling him. The fuzzy little insect pokemon spun around and skipped happily on the forest path. The boy eagerly followed behind them._

_Another group of pokemon caught his attention. Red crab-like pokemon with large mushrooms growing on their backs released a cloud of sparkling amber spores. The boy came closer for a better view but something else lured his curiosity yet again._

_His eyes widen. It was the mysterious light that led him to the forest in the first place. It circled around him and went off in another direction. The boy ran after it. He felt it wanted him to follow. His crimson eyes shone with fervor and innocence. The light evaded the trees with ease while the boy had a hard time dragging the sheet around his body. It got tangled on one of the thick vegetation. He decided to leave it._

_After a while, he ended up in front of a large lake. He felt exhausted but the sight that awaited him made him forget all about it. The forest pokemon gathered in groups at the water's edge as several of them released radiant and colorful spores into the air where the wind carried them as it spiraled around the lake. It was a dazzling display. The Poliwags swam about, creating ripples on the reflection of the shimmering scene. It was like a night festival. None of them were fighting. All looked happy playing and rejoicing with each other's company._

_The black haired child stood there, trying to find the right words to describe the scene that left him in awe. Perhaps this was the path he was unconsciously searching for; a path that would lead him away from battles and turn him towards a different road where no one would be afraid of him and where he'll never feel alone. A road that was…._

"…_Beautiful." The word just came out of his mouth, unknowingly. It had an uplifting ring to it. _

_He smiled._

_Suddenly he felt a presence behind him. He turned around and saw the bright sphere of light hovering around. It had a calming aura around it._

"_You were the one that lead me here, right?" The boy asked. He tried to figure out what it was and if it was some kind of pokemon._

_The glowing entity didn't speak; instead it circled around the boy and flew in front of him. The boy just took that as a yes. He reached out to touch it but a voice called out to him._

"_..Ruby."_

_The boy turned towards the direction where it came from. _

"…_Ruby!" It grew louder and nearer. The voice was kind of panicky but familiar._

_The boy suddenly remembered the mysterious light. But when he looked back, it was gone. Although he was a little disappointed nevertheless the gift it showed made him very happy._

"…_Thank you." He whispered. _

"_Ruby!" A silhouette of a young woman ran to him and wrapped him around her arms. Three pokemon trailed behind her. Their faces lit up at the sight of their trainer._

_The woman continued to sob. She felt relieved to have found him._

"_Ruby…"_

* * *

"Ruby..?"

Everything went black as the scene shifted. Now it was a misty shade of white. Voices called out to him. Gradually, his vision started to clear up. He was lying in a bed inside a pale white room and beside him were Sapphire and his mom.

"You're finally awake." Caroline looked at him with gentle and caring eyes as she stroked his forehead, ruffling locks of his hair. Ruby's fever had disappeared. She sighed in relief. It took a huge weight off of her shoulders.

"Ye'r really a heavy sleeper!" Sapphire teased as she leaned closer to the boy's bedside. She was in high spirits as she flashed a toothy grin. "Ya been asleep for more than a day."

Ruby glanced at the clock and calendar. A day had passed and it was half past 2pm. He really did sleep for some time but he felt a lot better. His body was lighter and the air wasn't cold anymore though he still felt a bit lethargic after sleeping for a long period. Fragments of the times he was conscious flashed through his mind. He sat up on his own even when his mom fussed over him, saying not to over exert himself.

"I'm fine." His crimson red eyes were now full of vibrancy and luster as he smiled at them. But he felt something missing.

_Where's Dad?_ He asked himself as he scanned the rest of the room.

It was wider than he thought. There was a medium-sized television with a tropical plant beside it. Fresh green curtains that were draped across the windows as the sunlight that seeped through the glass. There was also saw a lemon colored couch against the wall. It added a bright feel to the room.

He was disappointed but he hid it well. No one else was there but the him and the two.

But he was proven wrong by sound of splashing. He turned his attention to the side table beside him. There was a small water-filled fish bowl with an anxious pokemon swimming in it.

"Nene!" Ruby was glad to see his Finneon with him. Nene's eyes lit up at he sound of him calling her name.

"Yer pokemon are all okay. They're waiting at yer house for ya." Sapphire said. "But Nene here wouldn't sit still. She wanted to see ya so badly." The azure-eyed girl giggled. She thought it was really cute for the Finneon to have such an innocent attachment to Ruby.

The black haired boy recalled how his Finneon had helped him in the river as well as her brave deeds in battle. His heart was full of pride. "Thanks for saving me Nene! You were awesome."

The praises made Nene's pink streak glow. Her face also turned pink but she tried to hide it as much as she could. She was completely overjoyed. Everyone laughed softly.

"Aww.. Nene's being modest again." Ruby leaned closer to her bowl. "You don't have to be so shy all the time." He told her as he peered through the opening of the bowl.

Then all of a sudden, Nene couldn't contain her happiness. She jumped out of the water and lightly kissed Ruby on the cheek almost reaching his lips. After that, she jumped back and circled around panicking while glowing brighter in pink.

Ruby was caught by surprise as well as Sapphire. The young brunette gaped at the turn of events. _The heck?! That's not an 'innocent' little attachment. That was… That was…_

"Isn't that sweet? A kiss…" Caroline unknowingly finished it for her. She felt giddy at the pokemon's cuteness.

Ruby snapped out of it. He didn't seem bothered by it unlike Sapphire. In fact he seemed to appreciate it. He smiled sweetly at his pokemon as he tried to calm her down.

Sapphire just stared, frozen stiff. The word 'Kiss' made her remember that morning that happened a few days ago. She became flustered. Her face was almost as pink as Nene's. Her heart began to beat faster.

*Ba-thump*

Ruby turned towards her, confused by her sudden silence. "Saph? Is something wrong?"

*Ba-thump*

Sapphire's mind kept replaying the event before and the event that occurred just now. It took the word some time to fully sink in her thoughts.

_…A kiss?_

* * *

**End of Chapter 22**

**Wew. What a suspense... XD I bet some of you expected something else cause of the title...  
**

**I really appreciate everyone's suggestions. The imploding suggestion made me laugh. I also thought about catching it but I can't find a good name plus Sapphire already has Pilo.  
**

**I already have a concept for a sequel but the plot is still mostly blank.**

**Review pls! I'm happy to see new reviewers. Thanks for reviewing.**


	23. Frantic Days

**Return to Hoenn**

* * *

**Chapter 23:Frantic Days**

* * *

Sapphire swallowed hard and her fingers fidgeted unconsciously. She could feel her nervousness and the blood rushing to her face. The pinkish hue across her face was not left unnoticed by Ruby. He wanted to say something but a grumbling sound shifted everyone's attention. They expected it to be Sapphire but it wasn't. There was a sudden pause. Ruby clutched his stomach in embarrassment.

"Well it's only natural since you haven't eaten anything since." Caroline said with a motherly smile. "I'll bring you both, something to eat." She got up casually and left, leaving the two teens and Nene in the room.

There was an unexplainable tension in the air. It was a heavy silence. Ruby scratched his head. He suddenly had forgotten what he was supposed to say when his stomach interrupted him. In the end, he just said, "Thanks for saving me." Ruby couldn't make eye contact. He tried to keep his composure when he realized they were alone, excluding Nene who was now calm in her bowl.

"Y-yeah. No problem." Sapphire also wouldn't look at Ruby. Every time she sees his face all she could think about was the (accidental) kiss. The thought wouldn't go away. Her heart beat wouldn't slow down. She tried striking up a conversation to get her mind off of the topic. "So uhm—"

There was a sudden knock on the door which made the Sapphire jolt, almost falling off the chair she was sitting on. One of the nurses in the hospital peered through the doorway. "Excuse me. You have some visitors to see you."

Ruby and Sapphire turned towards the door to see who came. The first was Platina with bouquet of vibrant yellow roses with expensive looking wrapping. They were accented by small snow-white flora called heathers.

"I'm so happy you're finally awake." The dark haired girl came in with warm smile on her face. "I was really worried when I heard what happened." She said as she handed the flowers to Ruby before sitting down next to Sapphire.

Ruby thanked her and gladly accepted them. He admired the flowers before placing it on the side table next to Nene's bowl. Sapphire's nervousness was changed to insecurity especially when she saw Ruby smiling happily at her gift. The next moment made it worse. Another person with short black hair came in. Ruby and Sapphire's eyes widen.

"Marge?!" They exclaimed in unison.

The older girl smiled calmly at them, unfazed by their reaction. It was completely unexpected for her to drop by. They've become friends, months after the Hoenn incident when she and Ruby competed in pokemon contests but that was before the crimson eyed boy left for Sinnoh. Her clothes were no longer like her Team Magma uniform instead she wore a beige short sleeved blouse with ruffled edges and long slender jeans.

All eyes were on her as the former team magma admin came over to Ruby's side, opposite of the other girls. She shot a sly look at the young brunette before giving the boy a bundle of elegant white calla lilies and violet-blue irises.

"Long time no see Ruby." Marge smiled at him sweetly as she sat next to him at the edge of his bed.

"Yeah. It's been a while." Ruby smiled back.

_The hell is she doing her?! _Sapphire's eyes were filled with a fiery rage as she glared at Ruby's unexpected visitor. Marge could feel her piercing stare but shrugged it off. She found it amusing to see the young brunette riled up.

"How did you know I was here?" Ruby inquired, not noticing Sapphire's uneasiness.

Marge leaned a little closer. "Well, I have my ways." She said slyly and winked.

Her behavior and the distance between the two made Sapphire irritated. She felt her body boiling up with jealousy. She recalled the time Marge went together with Ruby to face Kyogre and Groudon as well as the times they competed against each other in contests. Not only that, the current situation seemed unbelievable. There was a beautiful dainty heiress, a seemingly harmless vixen, an overly affectionate pokemon and herself._ Arceus is definitely playing with me, _she thought.

Platina glanced at Sapphire and noticed her agitation. She didn't know much about their history with each other but she could tell the brown-haired girl didn't like Marge that much.

Ruby turned towards the Berlitz heiress. "So Platina, how come you came together with Marge? Did you know each other before?"

Platina shifted her gaze and answered back, "No. We met each other at the lobby, by chance. I heard she was inquiring for your room number so I offered to accompany her here."

"That's right. We only got acquainted on the way here." Marge added.

"I see. So you know your way around this hospital?" Ruby asked.

"The owner's a friend of my father so I was given a special tour."

The three were taken back at her reply. They expected nothing less from the influential Berlitz family of Sinnoh.

"You sure know a lot of interesting people, don't you Ruby?" Marge commented.

Ruby chuckled. "Not really…"

Sapphire was about to snap at any moment when Ruby's mom came in with a bed tray full of food. She was surprised to see Ruby's guests but she was glad they visited nonetheless. Marge introduced herself after she and Platina greeted her. Then Caroline set the tray in front of Ruby.

"I'll be outside. I still have to call your father to tell him you're awake." Caroline said as she walked back to the door. "So just enjoy the company of your friends till I come back." And with that she left again.

Ruby stared at the tray filled with food. There was a lot even if some of it was for Sapphire. He felt really hungry so he ignored it. With a sigh, he picked up the spoon to start eating but Marge took it from him.

"_Ah-ah" _She shook a finger at his face. "You're a patient here so relax." Ruby's eyes widen. A reddish hue formed across his face as Marge moved closer to try and spoon-feed him.

Sapphire couldn't take it anymore. She stood up abruptly and snapped. "Will ya STOP flirting already!?"

Platina and Ruby flinched at her sudden outburst but Marge kept her composure. In fact she looked as if she was enjoying the girl's reaction. "Oh, so do _you_ want to do it?" She suggested with a cunning grin.

"Ah—I..."

Sapphire was completely flustered. She had mixed feelings about it. Jealousy, anger, embarrassment and anxiety were swirling around in chaos. Everyone was staring at her. She didn't want to do it but she absolutely didn't want HER to do it either.

"Well? We're waiting" Marge continued to tease her.

"Fine! Give me that!" She stomped angrily towards the bed and sat across Marge. Then she quickly snatched the eating utensil out of her hand. She saw Ruby looking her. It made her even more nervous.

"Quit staring, will ya?!"

Ruby flinched and looked away. He didn't know how he got caught up in that situation.

Marge smiled and looked at the clock. "Would you look at the time? I believe it's time for us to leave, Platina…" She winked at the long dark-haired girl who giggled at her intention.

"Yes. I quite agree." Platina stood up and waved goodbye at the two who looked dumbfounded.

_The heck is happening?! _Sapphire tried to put the pieces together. _This was Marge's plan all along and I fell for it!_

"And we'll be borrowing your Finneon for the time being, okay Ruby?" Marge went over to Nene who was watching their every move since the beginning. She wanted to protest but she felt a sudden chill telling her not to. In the end, she let the unknown girl take her away. Ruby didn't say anything. He was too shocked by the turn of events. He just watched as they left the room.

Within moments, they were completely and utterly alone and in an awkward position. The atmosphere felt tense. Sapphire was frozen next to Ruby. She was still holding the spoon full of food while her heart beat uncontrollably. _What exactly…. Am... I... doing…?!_

*gulp* Ruby gathered up his courage. "Saph… you don't have to do that. I can manage." He slowly and cautiously touched her hand to retrieve the spoon. The slight contact made Sapphire jerk away and throw away the utensil. Now, there was a bit of a mess on Ruby's bed.

Sapphire felt embarrassed. She quickly tried to look for something to help clean up.

Ruby hated messes but judging the situation, he let it slide. "Saph. Don't worry. It's fine." But Sapphire continued to rummage through her stuff. Ruby sighed and searched for anything near him to clean up with. His eye caught a glimpse of a navy blue cloth. When he pulled it out, he realized it was the scarf he'd made for Sapphire. His fingers traced the silver embroidery at the end of it. He remembered her lending it to him before she fought the Salamence.

Sapphire felt a soft fabric in her bag and took it out. She unintentionally got Ruby's white hat that was found in the river that day. It was now fixed up and cleaned.

They looked back at each other with the items in hand.

"I believe this is yours."

"I think this is yers."

They said at the same time which made them even more flustered. Their hands trembled as they handed the objects over to their respective owner.

"…Thanks" Ruby said he averted eye contact. He knew his face was completely red. He didn't want her to see just how red. Sapphire smiled as she clutched the well-knitted scarf, not daring to look back at him either. Both of them were quiet. They could only hear their own hearts beat.

A grumbling noise broke the silence. This time it was both of them. They laughed. "I guess we should eat now…" Ruby pointed out. Sapphire nodded and took her share of the food. She sat back at her spot and began to eat her fill. Luckily there were extra utensils. Ruby found a table napkin hidden beneath the tray. He cleaned his bed as much as he could before eating.

They felt a lot calmer but there was still awkwardness between them as they finished their meal. Afterwards, Sapphire helped put the bed tray away and sat back down. That was when they realized they were back at the beginning; alone together in a room.

Ruby tried to find something to talk about. Then he noticed something wrong with his hat. He inspected it closely. It was fixed up but the stitching was sort of weird. Sapphire saw him looking over his white beanie. _I guess he probably found out._

"Sorry…" Sapphire began fidgeting her hands again as she stared at the floor.

Ruby turned towards her, surprised by her sudden apology.

"I know I'm no good at stuff like that and I even had yer mom help me out too…" She forced a weak smile.

It struck him. _She was the one that stitched it up?! She hates doing stuff like this but still she must have done her best._ Ruby was a little taken back at the sweet gesture. "N-No. I really appreciate it… Thanks." He forced himself not to blush but he still hid his face in case he did.

Sapphire's heart skipped when she heard him. She smiled genuinely at his gratitude.

All of a sudden, Ruby remembered something. "By the way, that morning… Why were you in my room?"

The unexpected question made Sapphire nervous. She recalled poking, pinching and then…

*Ba-thump*

Blood rushed to her face in a heartbeat. "W-well ya see… I was gonna wake ya up... and.."

Her trembling voice was obvious. Ruby stared at her scrutinizingly. "…You poked me in my sleep, didn't you?"

! ! !

"WHAT!? Ya were awake the whole time?!" Sapphire stood up in a hurry, tipping her chair over. She felt the sweat running down her back. Her heart was racing again.

"Half awake, actually." Ruby corrected but he was referring to the first time she poked him in his sleep on Pilo's back. He was really asleep that time in his room. _So_ _she really did. It was a random guess but I was right after all._ He thought.

Sapphire could hardly believe it. "S-so ya know about the… the…" She couldn't bear to say it. It was far too embarrassing.

*Ba-thump*

"The what?" Ruby was confused._ Did she do something else other than poke me in my sleep?_

_Doesn't he get it? Was it all just some sort of accident? Should I even say it? _Sapphire's mind was in total discord. She took a deep breath and explained what happened in fast forward speed. "All I did was poke ya over and over then ya started muttering something so I listened closely but then ya moved and… and.."

Ruby could catch a few of the details like poking and muttering but he was clueless to what was really bothering her. "Well? Spit it out already…"

"Ya moved and ya KISSED me!" Sapphire exclaimed, letting out all the anxiety building up in her which left her panting.

*Ba-thump*

"EH?!" Ruby was completely shocked. He felt he was beginning to sweat. He never expected that. "What do you mean me kissing you?! I don't remember anything."

"It was yer fault ya moved that time in your room!" Sapphire was getting irritated. It was embarrassing enough having said it.

"I was asleep back then. I knew you were poking me only when we were riding Pilo! I don't recall anything about kissing..."

"WHAT!?" Sapphire was taken back. The agitation shifted to utter humiliation and depression. _All that stuff that happened. He was really asleep! And I said those entire things?! _"So... I g-guess that kiss didn't matter after all." She started to back away towards the door.

Ruby felt he did something wrong. "Saph, wait a sec!"

Sapphire turned around and ran towards the door.

_Not again! I'm not letting you run away this time._ Ruby clutched his stomach and groaned in pain.

Sapphire instinctively turned back. "Ruby! Are ya hu—?!"

When Sapphire was close enough, Ruby pulled her towards him and pressed his lips against hers. All the chaotic thoughts and emotions in her head went blank as she melted into the warmth of his soft lips. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss. An indescribable sensation ran through her body. Her wild heart beat followed a different rhythm. It was hard to tell if it was her heart beating or his. It didn't matter.

After a few moments, Ruby pulled away stared at her with unwavering eyes. "I love you."

The event was surreal. Sapphire was speechless as she continued to gaze into his crimson eyes. Ruby was controlling himself not to blush. But he lost it. A red coloration formed across his face. He looked away and tried to hide it with his hand.

"..Dammit" He cursed under his breath. _Can't believe I really said that…_

Sapphire thought it was really adorable. It was rare to see him that flustered. She smiled with a bit of her fangs sticking out. After a slight giggle, she lightly kissed him on the cheek which made Ruby's eyes widen and his face even more red. He looked back at her and saw her extremely happy.

"I love ya too…"

* * *

That night, Ruby was discharged from the hospital. All the bills were taken care of by Platina even though Ruby was against it. Prof. Berlitz himself offered it. It was gratitude for helping Platina and for that time on Father's day. Ruby couldn't refuse. Platina also gave back Nene who was overjoyed to finally be back with her trainer.

Dinner was at Ruby's house again in celebration of his recovery. Sapphire and her father were there as well. Caroline prepared a lot of food as usual. Everything was back to what it used to be when Ruby came back from Sinnoh; except for a certain development.

"Ruby, I heard it was just you and Sapphire in the room that late afternoon. So did anything happen?" Caroline turned to the two teens sitting beside each other as she casually popped up an awkward question which almost made them choke on their food. Prof. Birch and Norman were a little interested after seeing their reaction.

Ruby and Sapphire stopped eating and looked at each other then they turned to Ruby's mom. They decided to keep it a secret between them for now. It would be too awkward to let their parents find out.

Innocent smiles were plastered on their faces. "N-nothin' happened…" Sapphire spoke up. The adults looked at them with suspicion.

Seconds later of staring at each other, Prof. Birch sighed heavily. "Oh well. I guess only time will tell." Their suspicions changed to somewhat disappointed sighs and they continued eating. The Ruby and Sapphire eyed their parents. It was as if they really expected something out of the two.

Ruby was relieved that they didn't pursue the subject any further. All of a sudden, his eye caught a glimpse of Sapphire's hand just hanging at her side. His smile got a tad sly. He reached for it and held on without as much as batting an eye. Sapphire, on the other hand, got flustered. She felt embarrassed and wanted to jerk it off but it only made Ruby's fingers interlock tightly with hers. The table cloth made the contact invisible plus the adults seemed engrossed in eating. They only thing that could give them away was Sapphire's face.

Ruby continued to drink the glass of lemonade with his other hand. Sapphire lost her appetite. She felt she had Beautiflies in her stomach instead of food. She kept glancing sideways at Ruby who seemed to enjoying teasing her.

Then there was a sudden knock on the door. Everyone's attention shifted.

"I'll get it." Ruby stood up and reluctantly released his grip which made Sapphire more relaxed. He opened the door and found a small package on the floor. It read, "To Ruby… From Platina."

_Huh? What would Platina send me at this time of night? _Ruby closed the door and began unwrapping the box. There was a short letter and another wrapped present. He stood by the door to avoid drawing unwanted attention as he read the letter.

_Dear Ruby,_

_Thanks for having me here in Hoenn. I know this is sudden but something came up and my father needed to go back to Sinnoh and I decided to go with him. My time here was short and I sincerely hope my next visit would be longer. I apologize if we can't say goodbye in person but I hope you'll accept my parting gift._

_Your friend,_

_Platina_

Ruby was disappointed that Platina had to leave early. He directed his attention to the neatly covered parting gift. He curiously began to peel off the wrapping, completely unaware of what was inside.

* * *

Everyone else in the dining room wondered what happened to Ruby and decided to check. Sapphire got up first and bolted to living room. She found the boy still standing, facing the door.

"Hey Ruby! Who was it?" Sapphire approached him. Ruby just stood there, unmoving. She tapped his shoulder and the boy jolted and immediately turned around. His face was completely red.

It made Sapphire confused. Then her eye caught a glimpse of some writing at the side of the package he was holding. "…From Platina." She glared at him but Ruby was too nervous for some other reason.

"What did she give ya!?" Sapphire pushed him against the wall and made the contents of the box fall on the floor.

"Saph, listen!" Ruby raised his hands in submission. Sweat was running down his face. He turned towards the scattered items on the floor and his face turned pale. Surprised by his reaction, Sapphire also looked at the items below them. Her expression also darkened.

* * *

"What's with all the commotion?" Norman and the rest of the adults came to the living room and saw the two hastily picking some stuff on the floor and shoving it into the box that Ruby was holding.

"J-just don't mind us… Ruby just dropped something. That's all!" Sapphire was panicking as she placed a few more things in the box.

"That's right! Nothing to see here." Ruby said between nervous laughs.

The adults eyed them with much suspicion. A wave of relief came over them as Ruby picked up the last one and placed in the box. But when they stood up, Caroline saw something sticking out beneath the couch.

"I think you missed one." She curiously picked it up, much to Ruby and Sapphire's horror.

"NOOO!" The two teens shouted in unison.

It was too late. "Shoot! Let's get out of here!" Ruby grabbed Sapphire and ran out the door, leaving the adults to ponder on their sudden reaction.

* * *

Previously, Ruby read a follow up note embedded on the parting gift.

_P.S_

_Congratulations on your confession! I knew you could do it. I apologize that we hid a camera in the room. Marge suggested it when she learned that you two weren't together as a couple yet. I agreed because I wanted to know if you would confess before I would leave. I'm so glad you did._

_There are two copies of every photo; one for you and the other for Sapphire. I also had one framed because it was really touching. Don't worry. I deleted the soft copies as well as the video. There are no other copies. I promise._

_Please keep in touch and give my regards to Sapphire._

* * *

Caroline squealed the photograph of the two gazing into each other's eyes with their flustered faces really close to each other. They were lucky it was not the kissing scene. Norman and Birch took a peek and chuckled.

"I guess time does fly." Sapphire's father remarked as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

* * *

Outside, Sapphire called for Pilo. The Tropius quickly flew out of the forest and came over to Ruby and Sapphire. The two quickly mounted on its back and took off into the night sky. Destination: anywhere but home.

The duo slumped on the green dino's back, out of breath and relieved to have escaped from that growing awkwardness. The evening breeze cooled the tension around them. Everything was quiet except for the flapping of Pilos' leafy wings. The half-moon lit their surroundings as they gazed at the star-studded sky and little by little their worries subsided.

"Beautiful…" Ruby whispered.

Sapphire glanced at him as he admired the dazzling night sky. Then it struck her. _This is one of those romantic situations, isn't it?_ She asked herself. She couldn't really tell, seeing that she has no experience or interest in anything feminine.

Ruby sensed her nervousness and held her hand again. But that only made it worsen.

"R-ruby…" Sapphire didn't know what to do. Her mind was running around in circles again. She knew she didn't have much knowledge of being a regular sort of girl let alone being a girlfriend.

Ruby looked at her. A sort of melancholy flickered in her eyes. "What's the matter?"

Sapphire didn't answer. She merely gazed at Ruby's hand interlocking with hers.

Ruby thought of something and pulled out a picture out of the box. He knew it would be embarrassing but it might cheer her up. "Hey Saph, take a look at this." He handed her the framed photo of their first real kiss.

Sapphire's face became completely red at the recollection. Even her heart skipped a beat. "Ruby-!"

When Sapphire turned towards him, Ruby kissed her. Doubts and anxiety were completely erased in a flash. Ruby's grip on her hand tightened. Sapphire returned the kiss and tightened her own grip. That warm sensation she felt before contrasted with the cold evening air.

After they parted, Ruby smiled at her and whispered, "You're more beautiful than the night sky."

Sapphire was touched by the compliment. She used her free hand to hide her sheepish grin with her blue scarf.

Ruby took a deep breath and changed the topic before he would get flustered as well. "We'll have to go back sooner or later." He pointed out.

Sapphire could almost imagine it. Ruby's parents and her father fussing over their relationship. Not to mention their senior dexholders especially senior Blue when they find out. _Dear Arceus!_

It was just the beginning of their frantic days.

* * *

**END**

***Phew* That was long...**

**I hope there's nothing too cliche. I had a hard time with this chapter. I hope it was worth it.  
School got a lot hectic too. I kept checking everyday for additional reviews though. (I was expecting it to increase from 46.. Oh well)  
**

**Well cheers to the finale of my first fanfic! Thanks for everyone's support, suggestions, reviews and my loyal readers and reviewers! (You all know who you are!) You're Awesome! xD  
**

**Dammit. I was too busy. I forgot about about July 2(Ruby's Birthday! DX) Arrghh!  
Language of flowers - I did a bit of research  
**

**ROSES Bouquet of Full Bloom** - Gratitude  
**ROSE Yellow** - Joy, Friendship  
**HEATHER White** - Protection; Wishes will Come True  
**LILY Calla** - Beauty  
**IRIS** - Fleur-de-Lis, Emblem of France: Your Friendship Means So Much to Me; Faith; Hope; Wisdom and Valour; My Compliments


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